US President Donald Trump has bluntly rejected French President Emmanuel Macron's request to attend an emergency G7 meeting amid rising tensions over Washington's push to acquire Greenland. Speaking at the White House after completing the first year of his second term on Tuesday, Trump openly rejected the proposal and cast doubts over Macron's political durability. When asked about attending the meeting, the US President said, "No, I wouldn't do that...Because Emmanuel (Macron) is not going to be there very long and there's no longevity there."
Screenshot of Macron's message sparks fresh diplomatic buzz
The exchange gained traction after Trump shared a screenshot of Macron's private message on Truth Social. The French President had written to him proposing a G7 meeting after the World Economic Forum in Davos, expressing alignment on key geopolitical issues but confusion over the Greenland push. Macron's message read: "My friend, We are totally in line on Syria. We can do great things on Iran. I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland. Let us try to build great things: 1) I can set up a G7 meeting after Davos in Paris on Thursday afternoon. I can invite the Ukrainians, the Danes, the Syrians, and the Russians in the margins. 2) Let us have dinner together in Paris on Thursday before you go back to the US, Emmanuel."
Greenland dispute casts shadow over US-France ties
The Greenland issue has once again become a flashpoint between Washington and Paris, adding friction to bilateral ties that have repeatedly swung between cooperation and sharp disagreement. Macron's attempt to bridge the gap with a high-level G7 discussion appears to have been firmly brushed aside by Trump, who remains adamant about his stance. Meanwhile, French President Macron on Tuesday said the European Union "should not hesitate" to use the trade bloc's Anti-Coercion Instrument in face of Trump's tariff threats over Greenland. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos, Macron pushed back against aggressive US trade pressures and "an endless accumulation of new tariffs." "The anti-coercion mechanism is a powerful instrument and we should not hesitate to deploy it in today's tough environment," he added.
Trump threatens 200% tariff on France
It is to be noted here that Trump on Tuesday threatened 200 per cent tariffs on French wine and champagne over Paris's intentions to decline his invitation to join his "Board of Peace". The US President’s all-out attack on France came after Macron derided Washington by mocking US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's justification of why Trump is fixated on the Arctic territory, part of Denmark.
"I'll put a 200 per cent tariff on his wines and champagnes. And he'll join. But he doesn't have to join," Trump said, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron. The US-proposed board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of war-torn Gaza, but the charter does not appear to limit its role to the occupied Palestinian territory," Trump added.
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