European countries sent small numbers of military personnel to Greenland yesterday as Denmark said it was pressing on with plans for a “larger and more permanent” Nato presence to secure the island coveted by US President Donald Trump.
The modest European deployments, meant to help Denmark prepare military exercises, sent a strong message of support a day after a meeting of officials from the US, Denmark and Greenland failed to reach any breakthrough on the impasse.
After that meeting, Trump repeated his assertion that Denmark could not be relied upon to protect its autonomous territory, Greenland, if Russia or China ever wanted to occupy it. Trump says the strategically located and mineral-rich island is vital to US security and has not ruled out the use of force to take it. Greenland and Denmark say it is not for sale and that threats of force are reckless.
Denmark’s defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, told journalists in Copenhagen yesterday he did not have a final figure for the envisaged expanded Nato presence in Greenland.
“But it is clear that we now will be able to plan for a larger and more permanent presence throughout 2026 and that is crucial to show that security in the Arctic is not only for the Denmark, it is for all of Nato.”
Prominent EU countries have backed Denmark, warning that a US military seizure of a territory in Nato could spell the end of the military alliance that Washington leads.
The European military deployment to Greenland sent two messages to the US administration, Marc Jacobsen, an associate professor at the Royal Danish Defence College, said.
“One is to deter, is to show that ‘if you decide to do something militarily, we’re ready to defend Greenland’,” he told Reuters.
“And the other purpose is to say: ‘Well, we take your critique seriously, we increase our presence, take care of our sovereignty, and improve surveillance over Greenland’.”
Before Wednesday’s meeting in the US, Greenland and Denmark said they had begun to increase their military presence in and around Greenland in co-operation with Nato allies.
Denmark had about 150 military and civilian personnel working at its Joint Arctic Command on the island.
Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands have said they are sending military staff to begin preparations for larger drills later this year.
In Nuuk, business owner Mads Petersen said it would be strange to see more troops.
“I don’t hope it is the new normal,” he said.
The White House said yesterday the meeting between US officials and representatives from Denmark and Greenland had been productive and warned sending European troops to Greenland would not affect Trump’s thinking about the territory.
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