It's hard to fathom why France should display such ire at the Trump proposal to procure Greenland since the idea is hardly new, having been raised several times in the past without setting off any outrage.
With the avalanche of "hardcore" substantive items flooding the news cycle in recently —from the hostage releases via Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate the Gazan public to Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to D.C. — some might find it a little incongruous to focus attention on something seeming as remote as the icy expanses of Greenland.
Greenland: The Tip of an Iceberg?
However, recently this massive, frigid, and largely barren island, stretching over an area considerably larger than Texas, California. Montana, and Arizona combined) has found itself thrust into the global media, with Donald Trump’s renewed call for measures to bring the territory under U.S. jurisdiction.
Indeed, this isn’t the first time Trump has broached the issue of U.S. governance of Greenland, originally raising it in 2019.
This time, however, the proposal catapulted the remote Artic island — rarely of intense media interest — to the epicenter of attention for many international news outlets including, BBC, Financial Times, Newsmax, Reuters Fox News Politico, Guardian, CNN among others.
Quite apart from the feasibility of the U.S. administration’s proclaimed aim, the reaction to the initiative by certain countries was revealing as to the make-up of their underlying political psyche — particularly France, under the wobbly Macron government.
Paris’s Petulant Pique?
Indeed, over the past year, this writer, on several occasions, commented on the aberrant conduct of Paris and its often perturbing policy quirks.
These "antics" reach back a half-decade to reports of sinister business machinations between Macron-affiliated tycoons and leaders of the Hezbollah terrorist group.
France also displayed a burst of petulant pique against Israel, whose companies it barred from prestigious arms exhibitions on its soil, while allowing over 200 French companies to participate — who were known to be licensed suppliers of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Even more infuriatingly, some of the Iranian companies, with which these French firms were doing business, were under U.S.-imposed sanctions!
Indeed, a glimpse of “Macronese” antisemitic bile emerged last year, when at a conference to rally support for Israel’s adversaries, the French president perversely accused the Jewish state of "sowing barbarism" in its attempt to rebuff the unprovoked barbarism of its brutal attackers.
France: Flailing, Floundering
The French response to the Trump proposal regarding possible American acquisition of Greenland is perhaps edifying as to the disarray afflicting the conduct of Paris’s policy on the global stage.
For, although the suggestion was roundly rejected by both Demark (to whom Greenland currently belongs) and its European allies as unacceptable, the French response was a classic example of hyperbolic overreach.
Thus, on Jan. 28, 2025 French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that Paris had "started discussing" with Copenhagen the possibility of deploying troops to Greenland in reaction to Trump's declared intent. The absurdity of the stand taken by the French quickly became apparent, when Barrot was immediately forced to concede that this was "not Denmark’s wish."
Indeed, scorn was soon heaped on France's reference to military action. One seasoned academic excoriated the suggestion as "pure escalation" from France, urging not to "throw fuel on the fire." Another dismissed "Sending Troops to Greenland" as "Macron’s Latest Stunt," derisively pointing out that Barrot’s later acknowledgement "that he doesn’t believe the U.S. will invade Greenland . . . shows that comments from French officials amount to little more than rhetorical grandstanding. . . "
You Can’t Make This Up?
Of course, the major thrust of Trump’s idea was not to take Greenland by force but to procure it by purchasing it — arguably along the lines of America’s purchase of Alaska (the largest state in the Union) from Russia. Alaska was officially handed over to the United States on October 18, 1867.
A Helpful Review
The French proposal was to
- Potentially pit NATO troops against NATO troops.
- To contend with a threat that the US never really made; and . . .
- By means which Denmark rejected.
This is so nonsensical that it would be difficult to make up anything more risible!
Indeed, it is hard to fathom why France should display such ire at the Trump proposal. After all, the possible purchase of Greenland is hardly new, having been made several times in the past without setting off such uproar.
The first tentative approach in this direction was made in 1867– the same year that America procured Alaska from Russia.
In 1946, under the Truman administration, the US offered $100,000,000 (in gold bullion) for the territory. There were also negotiations for a US takeover in 1910 and 1955, which never reached fruition. As mentioned, Trump renewed the issue in 2019 and in his current term, has done so again — apparently with renewed vigor.
Why All the French Froth and Fury
None of these incidents ever stirred such indignant outrage.
So, the question is what is fueling France’s froth and fury this time — especially as there appear to be genuine issues of both U.S. and Western security at stake — particularly, as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio underscores—the inability of Denmark to contain Chinese (and Russian) encroachment in the Arctic.
Accordingly, some might be forgiven for suspecting that it may merely be an Élysée contrived smokescreen to divert public opinion from the pressing problems closing in on Macron’s beleaguered regime — from a faltering economy, through grave social unrest to mounting challenges from domestic rivals.
If so, it certainly seems to be an endeavor that is both shabby and shoddy . . . and doomed to be short-lived.
Martin Sherman spent seven years in operational capacities in the Israeli defense establishment. He is the founder of the Israel Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a member of the Habithonistim-Israel Defense & Security Forum (IDSF) research team, and a participant in the Israel Victory Project. Read Martin Sherman's Reports — More Here.
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