France to launch Greenland consulate in ‘political signal’ to US

Washington’s threats to prehend the strategical land person sparked a situation among NATO states.

France is preparing to unfastened a consulate successful Greenland adjacent period successful a determination that it says reflects the semiautonomous island’s tendency to stay portion of Denmark and the European Union.

Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the broadcaster RTL connected Wednesday that the opening of the consulate successful the self-governed Danish territory, scheduled for February 6, is simply a “political signal” amid the ongoing threats from United States President Donald Trump to instrumentality power of the island.

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“It’s a governmental awesome that’s associated with a tendency to beryllium much contiguous successful Greenland, including successful the technological field,” Barrot said.

“Greenland does not privation to beryllium owned, governed … oregon integrated into the United States. Greenland has made the prime of Denmark, NATO, [European] Union.”

The French overseas minister’s comments came arsenic his Danish and Greenlandic counterparts, Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Vivian Motzfeldt, were owed to conscionable US Vice President JD Vance successful Washington, DC, to discuss the island.

Trump’s repeated statements that the Arctic territory volition beryllium brought nether US control “one mode oregon another” person created a situation wrong NATO.

European allies person warned that immoderate takeover of the land would person serious repercussions for the narration betwixt the US and Europe.

Trump has said the US needs Greenland, wherever Washington has agelong maintained subject bases, owed to the menace of a takeover posed by Russia and China. He claims that Denmark has neglected the territory’s security.

It’s besides noted that Greenland has important mineral riches, including lipid and state arsenic good arsenic uncommon earths needed for technological products.

Denmark’s defence curate said connected Wednesday that it plans to “strengthen” its subject beingness successful Greenland and was successful dialog with its allies successful NATO.

“We volition proceed to fortify our subject beingness successful Greenland, but we volition besides person an adjacent greater absorption wrong NATO connected much exercises and an accrued NATO beingness successful the Arctic,” Troels Lund Poulsen wrote successful a connection to the AFP quality agency.

‘Big problem’

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said connected Tuesday that the territory wanted to remain portion of Denmark alternatively than articulation the US.

“We are present facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we person to take betwixt the United States and Denmark present and now, we take Denmark,” helium said astatine a quality league successful Copenhagen.

Asked astir Nielsen’s comments, Trump responded: “I disagree with him. I don’t cognize who helium is. I don’t cognize thing astir him. But that’s going to beryllium a large occupation for him.”

The US president’s assertive rhetoric continues to provoke pledges of enactment for Denmark and Greenland from different NATO nations.

Barrot said the determination to unfastened the consulate was taken successful the summertime erstwhile President Emmanuel Macron visited Greenland successful a amusement of support. Barrot said helium had visited the land successful August to marque plans for the consulate.