(Image source from: AFP)
US President Donald Trump has warned of imposing tariffs of 200 percent on French wine and champagne because France has shown a lack of interest in his invitation to join his "Board of Peace". The US President also posted a private message from French President Emmanuel Macron about Greenland on Truth Social. Trump's strong criticism of France came after Paris ridiculed Washington, making fun of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's explanation regarding Trump's interest in Greenland, which is part of Denmark. Trump stated, "I will impose a 200 percent tariff on his wines and champagnes. And he will join. But joining is optional," referring to Emmanuel Macron. The board suggested by the US was initially meant to help rebuild Gaza, but its role is not limited to just that area. He later shared a private message from Macron, where the French leader agreed with Trump about Iran and Syria but expressed confusion about Trump's actions concerning Greenland.
Macron suggested meeting with Trump and other G7 leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, mentioning he could also include Ukrainians, Danes, Syrians, and Russians. He offered to take Trump out for dinner on Thursday. This development occurred after news agency AFP revealed that France "does not plan to respond positively" to Trump’s invitation to the 'Board of Peace. ' A close source to the French president commented that the board’s purpose "extends beyond just Gaza. " France also ridiculed the US regarding Trump's interest in Greenland. On the social media platform X, the official account of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs made fun of Scott Bessent's explanation for Trump's actions, comparing it to intentionally causing damage to avoid a possible crisis.
"If there’s a chance of a fire, firefighters would come – so it’s better to burn the house now," the post stated. Continuing with similar comparisons, they added, "If a shark could attack eventually, action would need to be taken – so it’s better to eat the lifeguard now," and, "If a crash might happen in the future, harm would occur – so it’s better to crash the car now." The French reaction followed Bessent's defense of Trump's actions, where he claimed that the 79-year-old president was concerned about future risks from Russia in the Arctic. "In the future, this fight for the Arctic is important. . . We would maintain our NATO commitments. And if Greenland were attacked by Russia or another entity, we would be involved," he stated.
