Lescure told the FT that he had forwarded this to Bessent, the US treasury secretary, on Monday, emphasizing Europe's deep concern over President Donald Trump's claims against Greenland, which belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark. — Greenland is a sovereign part of a sovereign country that is part of the European Union. This shouldn't be trifled with, Lescure said.
He stressed that despite the disputes, Europe must cooperate with the US on common priorities, such as the French-led G7 initiative to reduce dependence on China for rare earth metals. “Dialogue must continue as long as the boundaries that should not be crossed are not crossed,” Lescure said. He emphasized that the US and France have been close allies for 250 years.
What threats did the French Minister of Finance express?
What were Lescure's conversations with Bessent about?
What are the trade relations between the EU and the US?
What did Donald Trump say about Greenland?
Asked whether the European Union should respond to a possible U.S. seizure of Greenland with economic sanctions, Lescure declined to delve into the issue. However, he admitted that “if that happened, we would find ourselves in a completely new world and we would have to adapt accordingly.”
The EU and the US have trade relations whose value in 2024 exceeded EUR 1.6 trillion, and the US is the bloc's largest export market.
Dispute over Greenland. “Paradoxical behavior”
Since the beginning of his second presidency in January 2025, Trump has repeatedly said that the US would take over Greenland. According to Lescure, this is another example showing how difficult relations with the United States have become due to its “paradoxical behavior” — sometimes like an ally, sometimes like an unpredictable adversary.
Another flashpoint is EU regulations regarding the activities of American technology giants; The US opposes these regulations. Lescure told the FT that in his conversation with Bessent he stressed that the EU would apply its own rules to all companies operating on the continent.
The French minister noted that talks with Bessent and other G7 finance ministers in Washington this week showed a willingness to work on diversifying rare earth supply chains to reduce dependence on China.
“We need to move faster on all these issues because neither China nor the US will wait,” he said. — Europe must confirm its strength as a market and economic power.
