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Nato troops are likely to be a “more permanent” presence on Greenland, as several European countries joined Denmark in sending soldiers to boost security on the Arctic island coveted by US President Donald Trump.
Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark’s defence minister, said on Thursday that the intention was to have more Danish troops based in Greenland, with other Nato allies invited to take part on a rotational basis.
“The intention is to create a more permanent military presence,” he told Danish public broadcaster DR.
Germany, the UK, France, Finland and the Netherlands said they would make modest troop deployments. European diplomats said the idea was to show the US that Denmark and others were serious about Arctic security, not to respond to Trump’s threats to take control of Greenland.
Denmark’s and Greenland’s foreign ministers met US vice-president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio on Wednesday in Washington, and agreed to set up a high-level working group to meet within weeks.
Mette Frederiksen, Denmark’s prime minister, described it as “not an easy meeting” and conceded that there was still a “fundamental disagreement” with the US. She thanked Denmark’s partners for sending troops and added: “The defence and protection of Greenland is a common concern for the entire Nato alliance.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that about 15 French soldiers would soon be reinforced by land, air and naval assets. He added that Europe was “being shaken in some of its certainties” including by having “rivals it did not expect to see”. Both France and Canada will open consulates in Greenland in the coming weeks.
Germany said it would send 13 reconnaissance troops, the UK a single officer, Norway two soldiers and Sweden several. Helsinki is sending two liaison officers and the Netherlands one officer.
“These troops could not stop a US invasion. There’s no way. So the messaging needs to be subtle. This is to show we are stepping up on Arctic security, and that there is more that can be done,” said a senior diplomat from one of the countries participating.
Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defence minister, said that Russia and China were increasingly using the Arctic for military purposes and that Nato would not allow this. The 13 German troops were expected to fly to Denmark on Thursday and Greenland the following day.
“What is decisive for me is that, in our joint reconnaissance activities in Greenland under Danish leadership within Nato, we are coordinating very closely, especially with our US partners,” he added.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that the discussions on Arctic security were first and foremost a question for Nato.
“Greenland can count on us, politically, economically and financially,” she said. “We will continue our work on Arctic security with our allies, our partners, including with the US.”
Vladimir Barbin, Russia’s ambassador to Denmark, criticised the move, saying Arctic security should include all states in the region.
He told Danish broadcaster TV2: “By drawing Nato into the Arctic, including Greenland, Denmark promotes a confrontational approach that always leads to a weakening instead of a strengthening of security in the region.”
Poulsen said that there would be a “rotation” with different countries coming for a set period of time for exercises. These could include protecting critical infrastructure as well as helping deploy fighter jets and ships to Greenland, the defence ministry has said.
Additional reporting by Laura Pitel in Berlin and Laura Dubois in Brussels
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