France on Monday issued a sharp and sarcastic rebuttal to remarks by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Greenland, using a series of analogies to slam what it described as flawed logic behind Washington’s
push for control of the Arctic territory.
In a post on X, the official response account of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs mocked Bessent’s justification by drawing parallels to deliberately causing harm to prevent a hypothetical future crisis.
“If there were a fire someday, firefighters would intervene — so better burn the house now,” the post read.
It continued with similar analogies.
“If a shark might attack someday, intervention would follow — so better eat the lifeguard now,” and, “If there were a crash someday, damage would occur — so better ram the car now.”
The French response came after Bessent defended US President Donald Trump’s Greenland policy, arguing that the United States could not “outsource” its security and warning that a future conflict in the Arctic would inevitably draw Washington in.
Speaking during an interview, Bessent said that if Greenland were attacked by Russia or “from some other area,” the United States would be forced to intervene.
“And so better now, peace through strength,” he said, adding that while “Europeans project weakness,” the United States “projects strength.”
“If there were a fire someday, firefighters would intervene — so better burn the house now.”
“If a shark might attack someday, intervention would follow — so better eat the lifeguard now.”
“If there were a crash someday, damage would occur — so better ram the car now.” https://t.co/gXBEAONzPq
— French Response (@FrenchResponse) January 18, 2026
According to AFP, Bessent also warned European nations against retaliating over Trump’s threatened tariffs, saying, “I think it would be very unwise.”
He said Trump wanted control of Greenland because he sees it as a “strategic asset,” and reiterated that “we are not going to outsource our hemispheric security to anyone else.”
Asked about Trump’s message to Norway’s Prime Minister linking the Greenland issue to not winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Bessent said, “I don’t know anything about the President’s letter to Norway,” but added, “I think it’s a complete canard that the President will be doing this because of the Nobel Prize.”
Trump has threatened to impose a 10 per cent tariff on all goods sent to the United States from several European countries, including Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands, starting February 1, until Denmark agrees to cede control of Greenland.
The announcement has triggered strong reactions across Europe, with several leaders accusing Washington of economic “blackmail.”
Bessent, seeking to bolster the administration’s argument, cited historical precedents for US territorial acquisitions.
“How did the US get the Panama Canal? We bought it from the French,” he said, adding, “How did the US get the US Virgin Islands? We bought it from the Danes.”
He also underlined Greenland’s strategic importance due to its rare Earth mineral resources, which are critical for advanced technologies, and raised concerns about Chinese involvement in mining activities on the island.
France had earlier responded forcefully to Trump’s tariff threat.
According to the Associated Press, French President Emmanuel Macron said that “no intimidation or threats will influence us, whether in Ukraine, Greenland or anywhere else in the world when we are faced with such situations.”
Macron added that “tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context.”
European governments have also warned that Trump’s move risks a serious rupture in transatlantic relations.
