Emmanuel Macron will travel to Greenland, a Danish territory coveted by Donald Trump

French President Emmanuel Macron will make an official visit to Greenland on June 15 to "strengthen cooperation" with this autonomous Danish territory coveted by Donald Trump, the Elysée Palace announced on Saturday, June 7.

He will go there "at the invitation" of the Prime Minister of Greenland, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, whom he will meet "jointly," the Elysée Palace said in a press release.

Emmanuel Macron will be the first foreign head of state to visit since the American president's threats of annexation .

He will then join Canada, also coveted by Donald Trump , for a G7 summit.

"You cannot annex another country"

The three leaders will discuss "security in the North Atlantic and the Arctic, as well as issues related to climate change, the energy transition and security of supply of critical minerals," the French presidency said.

This trip aims to "strengthen cooperation" with Greenland in these areas and to "contribute to the strengthening of European sovereignty," she emphasizes.

The Danish Prime Minister welcomed this upcoming visit, "another concrete testimony to European unity " in the face of a "difficult foreign policy situation" for the kingdom, she noted in a statement.

Since returning to the White House in January, Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to take possession of the vast Arctic territory, rich in mineral resources and strategically located , "one way or another." "We have to," he insists, without ruling out the use of force, citing reasons of "international security."

Its vice-president, JD Vance, visited the US military base at Pituffik in northwest Greenland on March 28, a trip that was seen as a provocation at the time. However, he had to cancel a visit to Greenland himself in the face of the outcry there and in Denmark.

JD Vance had accused Denmark of having "not done a good job for the people of Greenland" , not investing enough in the local economy and "not ensuring its security well".

Denmark, for its part, insists that Greenland "is not for sale." Addressing American leaders from the vast island, the Prime Minister declared in early April: "You cannot annex another country."

Sending European troops, a "possibility"

While the main Greenlandic parties are in favour of the territory's independence in the more or less long term, none supports the idea of ​​joining the United States.

The population - 57,000 inhabitants, including more than 19,000 in the capital Nuuk - is predominantly Inuit and also rejects any prospect of becoming American, according to a poll published at the end of January.

In response to US ambitions, Denmark has announced that it will devote two billion euros to strengthening security in the Arctic, a strategic area due to its proximity to Russia and the United States, and the North Atlantic.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also mentioned sending European troops to ensure security in the Arctic as a "possibility," while noting that "it is not an immediate possibility" for Copenhagen.

After leaving the French archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon on May 28, two French naval vessels sailed north along Greenland to "familiarize themselves with operations in the Arctic, an area of ​​growing strategic interest," the Ministry of the Armed Forces announced on June 3.

Highly strategic for American defense, Greenland is on the shortest trajectory for a missile launch towards Russia .

With global warming and melting ice, it is also facing new and highly sought-after shipping routes that could shorten trade.

This territory of two million km2, 85% of which is covered by ice, also has vast mineral reserves, including rare earths, and unexploited oil reserves, but access to them is proving difficult.