Nuuk, Greenland – Military personnel from several European countries have arrived in Greenland, intensifying a diplomatic standoff with the United States over the Arctic island’s future.
Troops from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands touched down in the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, as part of a Danish-led initiative to bolster NATO’s presence in the Arctic.
The deployments are largely symbolic, focusing on reconnaissance and joint exercises aimed at strengthening regional security amid increasing geopolitical competition.
The move comes after US President Donald Trump reiterated his position that the United States “needs Greenland for national security,” citing its strategic importance in countering Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic.
Trump’s repeated emphasis on Greenland has drawn sharp rebukes from Danish and Greenlandic leaders, who insist the territory remains under the Kingdom of Denmark and is “not for sale.”
“The sovereignty of Greenland is a shared concern for Denmark and its allies. No country has the right to unilaterally claim the island,” said a Danish government spokesperson.
European deployments highlight growing tensions within NATO, as allied nations assert their opposition to any potential US control over Greenland.
The Arctic, long a region of strategic interest due to its natural resources and shipping routes, has become a focal point for military and diplomatic maneuvering by global powers.
Analysts note that while the European troop presence is modest, it sends a clear message of solidarity with Denmark and Greenland and signals a commitment to maintaining stability in the Arctic amid renewed US ambitions.
Greenlandic officials welcomed the European presence, describing it as a reassurance of international support and a counterbalance to US pressure.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the initial contingent would be reinforced soon with “land, air, and sea assets”.
Senior diplomat Olivier Poivre d’Arvor saw the mission as sending a strong political signal: “This is a first exercise… we’ll show the US that Nato is present.”
Trump, meanwhile, doubled down on his bid to bring Greenland under US control, telling reporters in the Oval Office, “we need Greenland for national security”. Although he did not rule out the use of force, he said late on Wednesday that he thought something could be worked out with Denmark.
“The problem is there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it if Russia or China wants to occupy Greenland, but there’s everything we can do. You found that out last week with Venezuela.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland was not planning to join the European military deployment to Greenland, but warned that any US military intervention there “would be a political disaster”.
“A conflict or attempted annexation of the territory of a Nato member by another Nato member would be the end of the world as we know it – and which for many years guaranteed our security,” he told a press conference.
Russia’s embassy in Belgium meanwhile expressed “serious concern” at what was unfolding in the Arctic, accusing Nato of building up a military presence there “under the false pretext of a growing threat from Moscow and Beijing”.
However, the European Nato deployment consists of only a few dozen personnel as part of Danish-led joint exercises called Operation Arctic Endurance. While heavy in symbolism, it was not immediately clear how long they would stay.
Finland is sending two military liaison officers for what it said was a fact-finding mission during what was currently a planning stage of the operation.
