❓WHAT HAPPENED: Canada and France have opened consulates in Greenland, marking a significant diplomatic move against U.S. interest in acquiring the Danish territory.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Canadian and French officials, the Trump administration, and the governments of Greenland and Denmark.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The consulates were opened this week in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, following friction between the U.S. and Europe over the island from 2025 into 2026.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Canada stands firmly in support of the people of Greenland who will determine their own future.” – Canadian Governor General Mary Simon.
🎯IMPACT: The consulates highlight attempts by European NATO members to push back against President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland.
Canada and France have formally opened new consulates in Greenland, a move widely seen as a signal of support for Danish sovereignty in the Arctic territory at a time of tension with the Trump administration over its future. President Donald J. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring Greenland from Denmark to boost national and regional security.
Until now, only the United States and Iceland have maintained permanent diplomatic outposts in Greenland. Officials from both Canada and France traveled to Nuuk for the openings, with Canada’s Governor General Mary Simon saying, “Canada stands firmly in support of the people of Greenland who will determine their own future.”
Notably, a majority of Greenlanders wish to separate from Denmark—few in the Inuit-majority territory are ethnic Danes—but a larger majority do not wish to do so if it means losing the Danish subsidies which currently cover around half the Greenlandic budget. Despite official resistance to joining the United States, it remains likely that the U.S. could make the Greenladers a substantially better offer than Denmark.
The Canadian consulate had originally been scheduled to open in late 2025, but was delayed due to severe weather. Its belated opening comes amid strained relations between Washington and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, was critical of Trump over Greenland and other geopolitical issues at the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump, in turn, has warned Canada of the possibility of 100 percent tariffs if it moves forward with a trade agreement with China.
Notably, Vice President J.D. Vance has said that quiet negotiations regarding Greenland—involving European governments and the United States over security and possibly access to critical minerals — have been far less hostile, with concessions to the U.S. position being made in private.
Image by NordForsk/Terje Heiestad.
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