In show of support, Canada, France open consulates in Greenland

Canada and France, which both oppose US President Donald Trump's claim to Greenland, opened consulates in the Danish autonomous territory's capital on Friday, in a show of support for the local government.

Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has insisted that Washington needs to control the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island for security reasons.

He last month backed off threats to seize Greenland after striking a "framework" deal with NATO chief Mark Rutte to ensure greater US influence.

A US-Denmark-Greenland working group has been established to discuss Washington's security concerns in the Arctic, but details 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.

Canada and France formally opened the new consulates in Nuuk, the island's capital.

"This is a very important day for us as a country, because we're opening our consulate here in Nuuk, Greenland," said Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand at the inauguration ceremony, before hoisting her country's flag over the consulate building to applause from a 76-person Inuit delegation.

Victory for Greenlanders

"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 plans to open a consulate during a visit to Nuuk in June, where he expressed Europe's "solidarity" with Greenland and criticised Trump's ambitions.

The newly appointed French consul, Jean-Noel Poirier, had previously served as ambassador to Vietnam.

"The first item on the agenda will be to listen to Greenlanders, to hear them, to let them explain in detail their position, and from our side to confirm to them our support, as much as they and the Danish side want," Poirier told AFP before leaving Copenhagen for Nuuk.

Poirier arrived in the Greenlandic capital on Friday, but does not yet have an office.

Canada announced in late 2024 that it would open a consulate in Greenland to boost cooperation.

That decision "came as Canada was choosing to strengthen its Arctic strategy when Trump's return was expected", French researcher and Arctic expert Mikaa Blugeon-Mered told AFP.

The opening of the consulates is "a way of telling Donald Trump that his aggression against Greenland and Denmark is not a question for Greenland and Denmark alone, it's also a question for European allies and also for Canada", Ulrik Pram Gad, Arctic expert at the Danish Institute of International Studies, told AFP.

"The consequences are obviously not just Danish. It's European and global," said Christine Nissen, security and defence analyst at the Europa think tank.

At the beginning of the week, Canadian icebreaker Jean Goodwill docked at the port of Nuuk, where it has since conducted a joint exercise with a Danish inspection vessel.

Recognition

According to Strandsbjerg, the two consulates -- which will report to the French and Canadian embassies in Copenhagen -- will give Greenland an opportunity to "practice" independence, as the island has long dreamt of cutting its ties to Denmark.

The decision to open diplomatic missions is also a recognition of Greenland's growing autonomy, 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.

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.

Greenland has had diplomatic ties with the European Union since 1992, with Washington since 2014 and with Iceland since 2017.

Iceland opened a 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 an office in 2024.