Category: US-Greenland

A small French military group has arrived in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, according to officials. This group is part of a reconnaissance mission that includes soldiers from Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, and the UK.

This limited deployment happens as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to claim Greenland, which is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. French President Emmanuel Macron said more land, air, and sea support would come soon.

Senior diplomat Olivier Poivre d’Arvor highlighted that this mission sends a clear message: “This is a first exercise… we’ll show the U.S. that NATO is here.” The initial French group includes 15 people. They arrived shortly after the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland had a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday.

After the meeting, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called the talks productive but mentioned a “fundamental disagreement” between the two sides. He also criticized Trump’s offer to buy Greenland.

Trump wants to take control of Greenland because he thinks it will help keep the country safe. He said he hopes to make a deal with Denmark. He also mentioned that if Russia or China wanted Greenland, they could do something about it, but he believes the U.S. can protect it.

On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that sending more European troops to Greenland would not change the president’s decision on the territory. She added, “Nor does this affect his goal of acquiring Greenland.”

Poland Did Not Plan to Join the European Military Deployment to Greenland.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland will not join the European military deployment to Greenland. He warned that any U.S. military action there would be a “political disaster.”

At a press conference, he said, “A conflict or attempted takeover of a NATO member’s territory by another NATO member would change the world as we know it and threaten our security.”

Russia’s embassy in Belgium expressed “serious concern” about the situation in the Arctic. They accused NATO of increasing its military presence there under false claims of a growing threat from Moscow and Beijing.

Currently, the European NATO deployment consists of only a few dozen personnel participating in Danish-led exercises called Operation Arctic Endurance. While this deployment holds significant meaning, it is unclear how long these troops will remain.

Finland is sending two military liaison officers for a fact-finding mission, which is still in the planning phase.

Janne Kuusela, from Finland’s defense ministry, told the BBC, “Right now, we are not ruling anything out, but we are not specifically considering anything.”

As an Arctic nation, Finland aims to strengthen the defense of allied territory due to concerns about NATO’s presence in Greenland.

An Increased Military Presence Around Greenland

Germany is sending an A400M transport plane to Nuuk on Thursday with 13 soldiers. They will stay in Greenland only until Saturday.

Danish leaders and the Greenland government will add more military personnel to Greenland. This will help NATO protect the Arctic and keep Europe and North America safe.

In his New Year’s speech to the French armed forces, President Macron noted that Europeans have a special responsibility toward Greenland, as it is part of the European Union and a NATO ally.

The United States has a military base in Greenland with about 150 personnel. The U.S. can bring in more troops if needed under agreements with Denmark. This Danish-led initiative shows that European allies are also concerned about security in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

Sweden’s Prime Minister said they sent Swedish army officers to Nuuk on Wednesday. Two Norwegian soldiers, one British military officer, and a Dutch naval officer are also being deployed.

Downing Street stated that the UK shares President Trump’s concerns about “the security of the High North.” The UK will increase military exercises to deter Russian aggression and Chinese activity.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that protecting Greenland is a shared concern for all NATO members.

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland visited Washington, DC, to talk with officials from President Donald Trump’s administration. On Wednesday, officials said they made little progress in changing Trump’s desire to acquire Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters, “We didn’t manage to change the American position. It’s clear that the president wants to take control of Greenland.”

Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt hoped their discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance would reduce tensions about Greenland’s future.

The meeting didn’t fix some important disagreements. Instead, they decided to make a group to talk about Greenland and safety in the Arctic.

Rasmussen said, “The group should help with American safety concerns and respect Denmark’s land.”

Motzfeldt called for working together with the U.S. but made it clear that Greenland does not want to be “owned by the United States.”

A social media account for Greenland’s government in the U.S. and Canada also pointed out the need for Indigenous voices in discussions about Greenland.

The account stated, “Why don’t you ask us, Kalaallit? The last poll showed that only 6% of Greenlanders/Kalaallit wanted to become part of the U.S.”

China and Russia Pose a Threat to Western Interests

European allies want to work more closely with the United States on security in the Arctic. The Trump administration claims that China and Russia threaten Western interests there.

But these offers have not changed Trump’s belief that the U.S. needs to “own” Greenland. This stance has raised concerns from the Greenland government and U.S. allies in Europe.

On Wednesday, during a ceremony to sign a law about domestic milk consumption, Trump said again that the U.S. should acquire Greenland for “national security” reasons. He also questioned Denmark’s ability to defend against any possible invasion.

“Greenland is very important for national security, including Denmark’s,” Trump told reporters. “If Russia or China wanted to occupy Greenland, Denmark wouldn’t be able to stop them, but the U.S. could.”

He also mentioned that he has “a very good relationship with Denmark” and would receive a briefing about the day’s meetings after his appearance.

The United States already has some military personnel in Greenland and could increase this number based on an existing treaty. “There is currently a base there with about 150 personnel. The Danish and Greenlandic governments are open to discussing expanding the U.S. military presence,” said Al Jazeera correspondent Alan Fisher.

“However, Trump insists that anything less than U.S. control is unacceptable. He wants the U.S. to move into Greenland as soon as possible.”