Canada and France strengthen their diplomatic presence in Greenland this week as a sign of a new chapter of Western engagement with the Arctic island as the world focuses its full attention on Greenland’s strategic importance after Donald Trump raised a possibility of the U.S. taking control of the island.
A high-level Canadian team, headed by Governor General Mary Simon and Foreign Minister Anita Anand, will fly into Nuuk on Friday, where Canada’s first official presence on Greenland soil will be inaugurated, accompanied by a Coast Guard vessel, highlighting Canada’s renewed focus on Arctic diplomacy and security.
Ahead of the trip, however, Mr. Simon noted, “Canada stands firmly in support of the people of Greenland who will determine their own future,” highlighting this as an act of solidarity with the semi-autonomous Danish kingdom. On the same day, officials from France are expected to arrive in Nuuk to launch this new French consulate, further buttressing alliance support among NATO nations in an increasingly competitive strategic landscape.
Until now, Greenland has been served by full consular missions from Iceland and the United States only. However, the joint openings of Canada and France illustrate an historic change, signaling that Europe and North America are stepping up their involvement in this strategic crossroads between Europe and America.
This follows repeated remarks by President Trump on how America needs to “own” Greenland for security reasons. Though President Trump later clarified that America is exploring possible arrangements as a result of talks with Denmark, European Union colleagues, and Canada, such remarks elicited anger from the people and governments of Greenland.
This comes after Canada announced its intention to open a Nuuk consulate early in 2024 as part of a broader policy review in the Arctic region. The opening was initially scheduled for late 2025, although it was to be postponed due to the severe winter weather. However, the current events have put more weight on the action.
Mary Simon, whose own ancestry includes Inuk and who grew up in northern Quebec, indicates the trip could be important on a personal level. She notes, for instance, she remembers listening to Inuit music from Greenland on shortwave radio as a child and calls the songs “the voices of my own relatives who live in faraway lands.”
Canadian Inuit leaders have welcomed the development. Natan Obed, president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, said the consulate marks years of advocacy to strengthen ties with Greenland. He says about 50 Canadian Inuit are expected in Nuuk for the opening ceremony.
Obed added that the US rhetoric on Greenland resonates particularly in Inuit communities because of their shared traumatic experience of colonization and Arctic sovereignty concerns. “We worry that the United States may tilt towards more overt moves of annexation again,” he said, noting that Arctic regions often sit at the heart of strategic planning.
The rising importance of Greenland is tied to melting ice opening shipping lanes and access to natural resources. Canada has long viewed the Arctic as a strategic vulnerability; the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised more than C$1 billion for northern infrastructure and plans to maintain a year-round military presence in the region.
Foreign Minister Anand has framed Arctic defense as “an unquestionable national security priority,” crucial to the long-term protection and security of Canada while contributing to global security.
During the visit, Simon is expected to call on Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, while Anand intends to hold discussions with her counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, as the two countries embark on a closer Arctic partnership.
