French president Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France will deploy additional “land, air, and sea” forces to join a European military exercise in Greenland.
“A first team of French service members is already on site and will be reinforced in the coming days with land, air, and maritime assets,” Macron said.
Macron emphasized that France and its European partners must remain present in areas of strategic importance, saying: “France and the Europeans must continue to be present wherever their interests are threatened—without escalation, but uncompromising when it comes to respect for territorial sovereignty.”
Germany’s defence ministry said earlier that the European mission aims “to explore options for ensuring security in light of Russian and Chinese threats in the Arctic.”
To address the new challenges, Macron said France would continue strengthening its military capabilities. He announced that an additional €36 billion would be added to France’s defence budget by 2030, on top of funds already allocated for the 2024–2030 period.
