Canada, France open consulates in Greenland in show of support

Icebergs float in the water off Nuuk, Greenland, on March 7, 2025. ODD ANDERSEN / AFP

Canada and France, which both adamantly oppose Donald Trump’s wish to control Greenland, will open consulates in the Danish autonomous territory’s capital on Friday, February 6, in a strong show of support for the local government.

Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has repeatedly insisted that Washington needs to control the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island for security reasons. The US president last month backed off his threats to seize Greenland after saying he had struck a “framework” deal with NATO chief Mark Rutte to ensure greater American influence.

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A US-Denmark-Greenland working group has been established to discuss ways to meet Washington’s security concerns in the Arctic, but the details of the talks have not been made public. While Denmark and Greenland have said they share Trump’s security concerns, they have insisted that sovereignty and territorial integrity are a “red line” in the discussions.

“In a sense, it’s a victory for Greenlanders to see two allies opening diplomatic representations in Nuuk,” said Jeppe Strandsbjerg, a political scientist at the University of Greenland. “There is great appreciation for the support against what Trump has said.”

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Paris’s plans to open a consulate during a visit to Nuuk in June, where he expressed Europe’s “solidarity” with Greenland and criticized Trump’s ambitions. The newly-appointed French consul, Jean-Noel Poirier, has previously served as ambassador to Vietnam. Canada, meanwhile, announced in late 2024 that it would open a consulate in Greenland to boost cooperation.

Recognition

According to Strandsbjerg, the two consulates – which will be attached to the French and Canadian embassies in Copenhagen – will give Greenland an opportunity to “practice” at being independent, as the island has long dreamed of cutting its ties to Denmark one day. The decision to open diplomatic missions is also a recognition of Greenland’s growing autonomy, laid out in its 2009 Self-Government Act, Nissen said. “In terms of their own quest for sovereignty, the Greenlandic people will think to have more direct contact with other European countries,” she said.

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That would make it possible to reduce Denmark’s role “by diversifying Greenland’s dependence on the outside world, so that it is not solely dependent on Denmark and can have more ties for its economy, trade, investments, politics and so on,” echoed Pram Gad.

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Greenland has had diplomatic ties with the European Union since 1992, with Washington since 2014 and with Iceland since 2017. Iceland opened its consulate in Nuuk in 2013, while the United States, which had a consulate in the Greenlandic capital from 1940 to 1953, reopened its mission in 2020. The European Commission opened its office in 2024.

Le Monde with AFP