European troops arrived in Greenland on Thursday in what was seen as a show of support for Denmark as the dispute over the island's future continues. Troops from France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and other NATO members headed to the vast Arctic territory, which is part of the kingdom of Denmark, after President Trump again said the US may need to take control of Greenland for security reasons, the Guardian reports. Denmark is also beefing up its own forces, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen calling Greenland's defense a shared NATO responsibility.
The deployments follow an awkward Washington meeting on Wednesday between Greenland's foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt, her Danish counterpart Lars Loekke Rasmussen, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The talks were meant to ease tensions after Trump's earlier statements about acquiring Greenland. Instead, Trump repeated that the US "needs" the island, argued Denmark can't defend it, and said "something will work out," prompting NATO allies to move more visibly into the Arctic. After the meeting, Rasmussen said a "fundamental disagreement" remains.
France says its first soldiers are already on the ground near Nuuk for exercises, with more to follow, while Germany is sending a 13-person reconnaissance team ahead of larger exercises planned later this year. Sweden and Norway are sending a handful of officers, while the UK is sending one officer and the Netherlands plans to make a decision on sending troops this week, France24 reports. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said he plans to build a more permanent military footprint on the island, with Danish forces augmented by rotating contingents from other NATO states. The Danish Ministry of Defense said its troops and those of its allies will explore "how an increased presence and exercise activity in the Arctic can be implemented in practice."
The AP describes the deployment as an effort to send Trump the message that "a US takeover of Greenland is not necessary as NATO together can safeguard the security of the Arctic region," but a Canadian defense expert sees it more as an effort to block US aggression, the CBC reports. "Members of the alliance are putting together a tripwire to try to deter Donald Trump, and what that tells you is we are very much in unprecedented times where we could very much be facing tomorrow, next week, next month American troops pointing their guns at Danish troops," political scientist Steve Saideman says. "It's to deter the United States from engaging in aggression. That's the only reason why they'd be there. And that sends a strong signal about the intense distrust and fear that these countries have of a country that's supposed to be their protector."
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