Macron, NATO Chief Private Messages to Trump Soften Greenland Tone/ newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ President Trump released private messages from French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that show a more diplomatic tone than public statements regarding the Greenland controversy. Macron gently questioned Trump’s motives while proposing broader cooperation. The rare leak of such communications is fueling global intrigue.
Macron, NATO Chief Privately Soften Tone on Greenland Dispute
Macron-Trump Messages Quick Looks
- Trump reveals private messages from Macron and NATO’s Rutte
- Macron writes: “I do not understand… on Greenland”
- NATO chief says he’s committed to finding a way forward
- French official confirms “sovereignty is non-negotiable” behind the scenes
- Macron proposes Paris dinner with Trump, Russia, Ukraine, G7 leaders
- Messages contrast with Europe’s sharper public stance against Trump’s Greenland plans
- Macron’s texts start warmly with “My friend”
- Trump breaks diplomatic norms by making private texts public
- US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Deep Look: Macron’s Private Message to Trump Hints at Diplomacy Beneath Public Dispute
PARIS — As President Donald Trump’s Greenland ambitions spark outrage across Europe, private messages between Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte suggest a more restrained — even cooperative — dialogue behind the scenes.
Trump, never one to adhere to diplomatic convention, posted a screenshot Tuesday of a message he received from Macron. The French president’s tone in the message, beginning with “My friend,” was notably softer than the official French and broader European condemnations of Trump’s bid to take control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.
According to the shared text, Macron first referenced areas of alignment with Trump: “We are totally in line on Syria. We can do great things on Iran.” Then came the delicate pivot: “I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland. Let us try to build great things.”
Though the message stops short of outright criticism, it gently questions Trump’s motives — a sharp contrast to Macron’s public comments emphasizing the sanctity of territorial integrity.
The French presidency confirmed the authenticity of the message. A French official, speaking anonymously per customary practice, said the message showed consistency in Macron’s views both publicly and privately.
The official reaffirmed France’s position that “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is non-negotiable.”
A President Who Breaks With Diplomatic Norms
It’s rare — almost unheard of — for a sitting president to publish verbatim private communications from other world leaders. Such exchanges typically remain confidential to preserve space for candid diplomacy, even when public disagreements are fierce.
But Trump has once again cast aside protocol.
Alongside the Macron message, Trump also published a message from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, which NATO later verified as genuine. Rutte’s text expressed optimism and warmth: “I am committed to finding a way forward on Greenland. Can’t wait to see you. Yours, Mark.”
Publicly, Rutte has been tight-lipped about the Greenland situation, refusing to comment directly even amid escalating tensions and warnings from Denmark.
Last week, when asked whether Trump’s push for Greenland threatened NATO unity, Rutte simply replied, “I can never comment on that. That’s impossible in public.”
Macron’s Personal Approach to Trump
Macron has long portrayed himself as a leader who can keep lines of communication open with Trump, regardless of policy differences. He famously called Trump on his cellphone from a street in New York in 2025, joking that the motorcade blocking traffic was “frozen for you!”
That close rapport seems to remain intact. Macron’s private message to Trump ended with an invitation: “Let us have a dinner together in Paris on Thursday before you go back to the US.” It was signed simply: “Emmanuel.”
Macron also floated an idea that had not yet been made public: convening a meeting in Paris involving both Ukraine and Russia, along with other stakeholders like Denmark, Syria, and the G7. He suggested that Russian representatives could be included “on the margins,” acknowledging the delicate optics of hosting Moscow while France remains a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion.
Such a summit could serve multiple diplomatic goals — offering a path forward in multiple geopolitical crises while tempering Trump’s Greenland rhetoric in a broader, more constructive context.
The Public-Private Discrepancy
While Macron’s behind-the-scenes message struck a conciliatory tone, Europe’s public posture has remained firm.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that Trump’s planned tariffs over Greenland represent a “mistake between long-standing allies” and pledged an “unflinching” EU response if tariffs take effect.
Denmark, which administers Greenland, has also taken a harder stance publicly. Danish officials have rejected any discussion of transferring the island’s control and warned that forced U.S. action would damage NATO’s cohesion.
The messages from Macron and Rutte reflect an effort to cool tensions without publicly conceding to Trump’s demands — and perhaps to contain the fallout from an increasingly unconventional White House.
Still, by exposing the content of these private exchanges, Trump may complicate future diplomacy. World leaders now face the challenge of maintaining open channels while assuming their private words could be made public at any moment.
As for Macron’s Paris dinner invitation? It remains to be seen whether it will lead to quiet consensus — or become another headline in a growing international showdown over one of the world’s most remote and strategically contested places.
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