At a Glance
- Trump posted Macron’s private message: “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland”
- Macron offered a G7 meeting in Paris and dinner on Jan. 22
- Trump also shared a supportive note from NATO chief Mark Rutte
- Why it matters: The leaks expose rifts over Trump’s push to take control of Greenland
President Donald Trump has published private messages from French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that reveal tensions over his stated desire to “own” Greenland.
The posts appeared on Trump’s Truth Social page on Tuesday, Jan. 20, hours before he was scheduled to fly to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Macron’s blunt warning
In the note attributed to Macron, the French president wrote:
- “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.”
- He proposed convening a G7 meeting in Paris the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 22, after the forum.
- He invited Trump to dinner that evening before the U.S. president’s return flight.
The message did not include a timestamp.
A source close to Macron confirmed to NBC News that the text was authentic and said the president’s stance on Greenland is the same in public and private.
NATO chief offers support
Trump simultaneously posted a message from Mark Rutte, who took over as NATO secretary general last year.
The note opened with “Mr. President, dear Donald,” and praised Trump’s work in Syria. Rutte pledged to spotlight Trump’s efforts in Syria, Gaza and Ukraine during his own Davos media appearances.
“I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland,” Rutte wrote. “Can’t wait to see you. Yours, Mark.”
A NATO official verified the message in an email to News Of Los Angeles.
Forum schedules collide
Macron is speaking at the WEF on Tuesday and plans to return to Paris that night. Élysée Palace aides told Reuters he had no intention of staying until Wednesday, Jan. 21, when Trump is expected to arrive.
The mismatch means the two leaders will not overlap in Davos, making Macron’s proposed Paris meeting the next possible face-to-face.
French troops in Greenland
The leak follows Macron’s announcement last week that French service members are on the ground in the Danish territory.
“France must be available to assess the threat, adapt, and stand alongside a sovereign state to protect its territory,” Macron said in a military address carried by ABC News.
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States.
Trump threatens wine tariffs
Earlier Tuesday, Trump warned he could slap a 200 percent tariff on French wine and champagne after Macron signaled reluctance to join Trump’s proposed Board of Peace.
“Did he say that? Well, nobody wants him because he will be out of office very soon,” Trump told Reuters, referencing Macron’s term ending in 2027.
“I’ll put a 200 percent tariff on his wines and champagnes, and he’ll join, but he doesn’t have to join,” Trump added.
Nobel fallout spills into Greenland
The same day the messages were posted, Sophia A. Reynolds reported that Trump had sent a letter to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre linking the Nobel Peace Prize snub to his Greenland ambitions.
In the Jan. 18 letter, Trump wrote:
“Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.”
Støre confirmed receipt of the letter; he does not control Nobel selections or Greenland’s fate.
AI images stoke speculation
Among the Truth Social posts were computer-generated images showing:
- The American flag draped over Greenland and Canada
- Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio raising a “Greenland US Territory Est. 2026” sign
The White House did not respond to News Of Los Angeles‘s request for comment, and Macron’s office has not replied to inquiries.
Key Takeaways
- Macron is pressuring Trump to explain his Greenland stance while offering diplomatic cooperation on Syria and Iran
- Rutte is courting Trump’s favor, pledging support and seeking common ground on Greenland
- Trump is leveraging trade threats and social-media theatrics to keep the issue in the headlines
