French President Emmanuel Macron announced on January 15 that France will participate in joint military exercises with Denmark in Greenland under Operation Arctic Resilience.
According to Macron, the decision was made at Denmark’s request, with the first French troops already en route and additional forces expected to follow.
Concurrently, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen stated on January 13 that island residents desire to remain part of Denmark. Nielsen emphasized that Greenland has never been sold and does not wish to join the United States.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Nielsen was under pressure for his remarks regarding Greenland’s desire to stay with Denmark.
Reports indicate that the United States could pay up to $700 billion for Greenland if a deal were reached, which would include allocating more than half of the annual national security budget.
