EU has “strategic responsibility” in Greenland: France

• Following the failure of Danish-US talks on Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot declared that the EU has a "strategic responsibility" to defend Greenland’s sovereignty, asserting that Arctic security is inseparable from European security.
• President Emmanuel Macron announced that France is deploying "land, air, and sea" forces—including specialized mountain warfare units—to join Operation Arctic Endurance, a Danish-led multinational exercise intended to deter any unilateral US move toward annexation.

The EU has "a strategic responsibility" in Greenland, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Thursday, after President Donald Trump insisted Washington needed the autonomous Danish territory for security reasons.

Barrot spoke after Denmark said the United States still aimed to take control of the mineral-rich Arctic island.

"Arctic security is inseparable from... European security," Barrot said.

"We stand in support and solidarity with Denmark, just as we would hope to be able to count on Denmark’s support and solidarity if we found ourselves in the same situation today".

Greenland "is a European territory that is placed under NATO protection," Barrot said, adding: "NATO, NATO’s allies, European countries are fully capable of defending their territory against any threats, wherever they may come from".

Earlier on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would soon send more "land, air, and sea" forces to join a military exercise in Greenland.

"A first team of French service members is already on site and will be reinforced in the coming days," he said.