By Staff, Agencies

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday that France will participate in joint military exercises with Denmark in Greenland, as Copenhagen seeks to bolster its military presence on the Arctic island alongside European NATO allies.

In a post on X, Macron said Paris had agreed, at Denmark’s request, to participate in the exercises known as Operation Arctic Endurance. He added that the first French military units were already en route to Greenland, with additional deployments to follow.

The announcement came after Denmark’s Defense Ministry said earlier on Wednesday that it would step up military activity in Greenland in coordination with NATO partners.

According to the ministry, this year’s exercises are expected to include safeguarding critical infrastructure, providing support to Greenlandic authorities, including the police, hosting allied forces, deploying fighter jets, and conducting naval operations.

Greenland has drawn increased international attention amid growing strategic competition in the Arctic. United States President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that Greenland should become part of the US, citing its strategic importance for US national security and the defense of what he described as the “free world,” including against China and Russia.

Danish and Greenlandic authorities have firmly rejected such claims, warning Washington against any attempt to seize the island and stressing their expectation that the shared territorial integrity of Denmark and Greenland be respected. Greenland was a Danish colony until 1953 and remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The island gained broad autonomy in 2009, granting it the right to self-govern and manage its domestic affairs, while Copenhagen retains responsibility for defense and foreign policy.

On Wednesday, several diplomats told POLITICO that the moment is the most serious challenge facing Europe since World War II, underscoring the unease generated by Washington’s posture. While officials say they know how to respond to pressure from adversaries such as Russia, dealing with similar tactics from the United States has left them in uncharted territory.

Despite political maneuvering aimed at appeasing Trump, European leaders say their overriding objective is to prevent a military confrontation with Washington. A US intervention against Greenland would effectively dismantle the postwar transatlantic security framework.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that such a scenario would be unprecedented in NATO’s history, while Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius both said a military takeover would mark the end of the alliance altogether.

A NATO diplomat noted that the alliance’s founding treaty contains no provision for an attack by one member on another, calling such a scenario “the end of NATO.”

Trump himself has acknowledged the stakes, suggesting the US may have to choose between pursuing its ambitions over Greenland and preserving the alliance.

European officials admit they are still reeling, and until recently, many governments deliberately avoided contingency planning, fearing that preparing for a US challenge over Greenland might make the threat more real.