French President Emmanuel Macron threw his support behind Denmark on Wednesday, announcing that France will send troops to join a Danish-led military exercise in Greenland. The move comes as President Donald Trump continues ramping up his campaign to bring the Arctic island under American control.

European Allies Rally Around Denmark

"At the request of Denmark, I have decided that France will participate in the joint exercises organized by Denmark in Greenland, Operation Arctic Endurance. The first French military elements are already on their way. Others will follow," Macron wrote on X. Denmark says the exercise will also include forces from Germany, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada.

The timing is hard to miss. Macron made his announcement just hours after Trump told reporters that the United States "needs Greenland" and suggested Denmark simply cannot handle the job of protecting it.

Trump Questions Denmark's Defense Capabilities

Speaking from the Oval Office after a high-stakes meeting between Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Trump argued that "Greenland is very important for the national security, including of Denmark."

"And the problem is there's not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland, but there's everything we can do. You found that out last week with Venezuela," he added, according to Reuters.

Rasmussen described his meeting as "frank but also constructive," while making clear that Denmark and Greenland aren't interested in US control. He acknowledged that a "fundamental disagreement" remains between the two sides.

Stakes and Security Concerns

Before the Washington talks, Trump posted on social media that NATO would be "far more formidable and effective" with Greenland in US hands and that "anything less than that is unacceptable." He has framed acquiring the territory as critical to America's security, repeatedly questioning Denmark's ability to stand up to Russia and China.

For their part, Greenland and Denmark have been consistent: the island is not for sale. They've called threats of force reckless and insisted that security concerns should be worked out among allies, not through territorial grabs. European governments, including key EU and NATO partners, have backed Copenhagen's position while warning that any US move to annex Greenland could seriously damage the alliance.

The situation puts Trump at odds with some of America's closest allies over a piece of territory that's becoming increasingly strategic as Arctic ice melts and great power competition heats up. Whether "something will work out," as Trump suggested, remains to be seen.