Greenland

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to make a landmark visit to Greenland on June 15, underscoring growing geopolitical and environmental interest in the Arctic region. The visit, confirmed by the Élysée Palace, will include meetings with Danish officials and Greenland’s autonomous government to discuss key issues such as climate change, Arctic security, and sustainable resource development.

This will be the first official visit by a French president to the icy territory — and it comes at a time when global powers are intensifying efforts to assert influence in the Arctic, where melting ice is unlocking access to critical shipping lanes and mineral resources.

Macron’s visit is expected to focus heavily on climate diplomacy, particularly France’s role in international Arctic conservation efforts. But beyond environmental concerns, France is also eyeing Greenland’s critical minerals — especially rare earth elements that are essential for clean energy technologies and defense systems.

Officials say Macron will propose a Franco-Greenlandic research partnership on sustainable mining and glacial monitoring. France is also seeking to strengthen its role in the Arctic Council, where it holds observer status, and counterbalance growing Russian and Chinese activity in the region.

Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has long called for more inclusive dialogue with global leaders about the future of its lands and indigenous communities. Macron is expected to meet with Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Bourup Egede and local Inuit leaders to discuss issues ranging from food security to cultural preservation amid climate shifts.

“France wants to listen, not lecture,” a French diplomat told reporters ahead of the trip. “The goal is to support Greenland’s development while respecting its sovereignty and ecological heritage.”

Macron’s visit is part of a broader European strategy to deepen engagement in the Arctic. With the European Union releasing a new Arctic policy last year that emphasizes environmental protection, sustainable economic growth, and defense cooperation, France is stepping up its presence.

The move is also seen as a response to increasing Russian militarization of the Arctic and China’s self-declared ‘near-Arctic state’ ambitions, both of which have raised security concerns in NATO and EU circles.