Macron pushes back on Trump's territorial claims

French President Emmanuel Macron, arriving in Saint-Pierre, stated firmly that the small Atlantic island territory remains French. His comments came in response to a map published by US President Donald Trump that depicted the entire region, including the archipelago, covered by the United States flag.

Quoted by broadcaster BFMTV, Macron said the territory is closely tied to France, adding that Paris will not need to repeat this fact every morning simply because someone has expressed unusual ideas or statements.

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon is a former French colony in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Canada. In 2003 the archipelago was granted the special status of a French overseas community.

Meeting with Canada's prime minister

On Sunday, Macron will host Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the archipelago — the first meeting of its kind to take place just a few kilometers from the Canadian coast. Macron described it as a strong signal amid the trade dispute Trump has launched against Canada.

As France seeks alternative oil supply sources amid sharply rising prices driven by the war in the Middle East, Macron also expressed hope of finding solutions with Canada, a major producer. He specifically voiced a wish for more Canadian liquefied gas to reach the Atlantic coast and, from there, Europe, while highlighting new prospects for cooperation with Canada more broadly.

Carney, for his part, had just returned from Strasbourg, where on Thursday he secured a significant deepening of ties between Canada and the European Union. Following that, Trump threatened to impose serious tariffs on the EU should Canada become an associate member of the bloc. In response, Carney said Canada would not yield to pressure from Washington.