During his visit to Nuuk on Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will open a consulate general in Nuuk. Experts call it a thorn in Trump’s side.
French President Emmanuel Macron will open a consulate general in Nuuk. He announced this at a press conference at the colonial port in Nuuk on Sunday.
A report that caught Jeppe Strandsbjerg by surprise, who is an associate professor at the Center for Arctic Security Studies at the Danish Defense Academy and affiliated with Nasiffik, the Center for Foreign and Security Policy, at Ilisimatusarfik.
– It surprises me that they have already announced that they want to establish a consulate. But it also clearly shows that they are willing to support it, he says.
According to Jeppe Strandsbjerg, Macron’s visit to Greenland and the launch of a consulate general are a clear signal to Trump.
– It sends a message that there is strong dissatisfaction with the direction Trump has taken. It is a signal from Macon to Trump that speaks directly to the US government, he says.
When the president visited Greenland on Sunday, he was greeted with a somewhat warmer reception than US Vice President J.D. Vance received back in March.
– Being welcomed with open arms has meaning. It is a form of positioning. The fact that it is symbolic does not mean that it is insignificant or empty, says Jeppe Strandsbjerg.
However, what a consulate general will specifically mean for Greenlandic society is still uncertain. According to Jeppe Strandsbjerg, the possibilities – and thus the ambitions – are great.
A consulate general can open doors for research collaboration, business investments, cultural exchange and political dialogue, among other things. But, he emphasizes, that does not mean that it will happen.
A thorn in Trump’s side
Although the two presidents are sending each other suppositories, this is not the first time France and the United States have disagreed, explains Jeppe Strandsbjerg. Therefore, he does not believe that the establishment of a consulate in itself will worsen relations between Greenland, Denmark, France and the United States.
– From the US perspective, the cooperation is much less controversial than a connection between Greenland and China, he says and continues:
– The announcement may be a thorn in Trump’s side, but the relationship between the four countries is already not rosy. Maybe they are fanning the flames of conflict, but the conflict is already there.
A closer European alliance
Since US President Donald Trump – again – announced that he would buy Greenland and did not rule out a possible annexation, the French president has shown his support for the Greenlandic people.
This led, among other things, to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greenland, Vivian Motzfeldt, inviting Macron to the country in May. About a month later, he landed in Nuuk.
According to Jeppe Strandsbjerg, Greenland and Denmark have limited room for manoeuvre in relation to the USA. Therefore, other alliances have been sought.
– From the Greenlandic and Danish sides, they have wanted a closer European alliance, and support as a counterweight to the possessive rhetoric that has come out of the Trump administration and directly from Trump, he says.
French interest in the Arctic
Although the support from France is received positively in Greenland, it does not come without its own strategic motives. According to Jeppe Strandsbjerg, it is also about France’s desire to secure a place in the Arctic – and gain access to both influence and resources.
– It is clear that France sees an opportunity to be present or be part of the race to secure access to strategic raw materials, says Jeppe Strandsbjerg.
However, he emphasizes that this is not a direct barter transaction, but rather an attempt to create connections that can lead to future collaboration.
– I don’t think it means they expect to be involved in a large mining project in a few years. But it is an opportunity to create a political dialogue and explore the possibilities for meaningful investments, both in the raw materials and energy areas, he says.
He believes that the presence itself is a symbol – and a step towards a closer connection and better cooperation.
– The French defense has an interest in practicing, and also in being present in the Arctic. In addition, we also talk a lot about critical raw materials, more investments in infrastructure and economic development in Greenland, he says.