Macron says France to increase military presence in Greenland soon

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday (January 15) a first team of French soldiers was already in place in Greenland and more military means will be deployed in the coming days.

"A first team of French soldiers is already on site and will be reinforced in the coming days by land, air and sea means," Macron said in a New Year's address to the armed forces.

Earlier on Thursday, Macron convened an emergency defence cabinet meeting in Paris to discuss U.S.

President Donald's Trump's stated intent to acquire Greenland and the forceful crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran.

Other allied nations including Germany, Norway and Sweden have begun deploying troops to Greenland in a show of support to Copenhagen and Nuuk.

The deployment follows a high-stakes meeting between U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officials, indicated that there were still fundamental, if not intractable, differences between how Washington, Copenhagen and Nuuk see the island's future.

Macron also laid out efforts France was making to strengthen its and Europe's defences, telling an audience of troops and military officials "history does not forgive either unpreparedness or weakness".

Production: Clotaire Achi, Lewis Macdonald/Reuters