Washington: US President Donald Trump has declined French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal for an emergency G7 meeting amid escalating diplomatic friction over Washington’s renewed push to acquire Greenland, signalling little interest in multilateral talks led by Paris.
Speaking to reporters after completing the first year of his second term, Trump dismissed the idea outright and cast doubt on Macron’s staying power in office. “No, I wouldn’t do that,” Trump said when asked about attending the meeting. “Emmanuel is not going to be there very long, and there’s no longevity there.”
The remarks came shortly after Trump shared a screenshot on his Truth Social platform of a private message from Macron, in which the French president urged him to participate in a G7 discussion following the World Economic Forum in Davos. In the message, Macron acknowledged alignment with Washington on Syria and potential cooperation on Iran, while expressing confusion over the US stance on Greenland.
Macron’s outreach proposed a meeting in Paris with a broader diplomatic outreach on the sidelines, including representatives from Ukraine, Denmark, Syria and Russia, followed by a private dinner between the two leaders. Despite the conciliatory tone, Trump appeared unmoved.
Pressed on how far his administration might go in pursuit of Greenland, Trump offered a cryptic response, saying only, “You will find out.”
The US president also used the occasion to renew criticism of NATO, accusing the alliance of failing to pull its weight. Trump claimed the United States bears a disproportionate financial burden and questioned whether allies would reciprocate in a crisis. “I know we’ll come to their rescue,” he said, “but I really do question whether they’d come to ours.”
Macron, meanwhile, has sharpened his criticism of Washington in recent days. Speaking at the World Economic Forum, he accused the United States of using tariffs and trade pressure to weaken Europe and challenge its sovereignty. He warned that global politics was entering a phase marked by instability across security, defence and economic fronts, and cautioned that international competition was becoming increasingly ruthless without strong collective governance.
The French leader also voiced concern about what he described as a broader drift away from democratic norms, pointing to rising conflict worldwide and warning that unchecked power politics risk accelerating a global tilt toward authoritarianism.
With tensions simmering over trade, security and territorial issues, Trump’s rejection of Macron’s initiative underscores growing strains between traditional allies at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
