By Anietie Anii-Bassey
Troops from several European countries, including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden, have begun arriving in Greenland in a coordinated show of support for Denmark, underscoring growing European unease over renewed calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for American control of the vast Arctic island.
The deployments came as high-level talks in Washington laid bare what Danish officials described as a “fundamental disagreement” with the Trump administration over Greenland’s future.
Denmark announced on Wednesday that it would strengthen its military presence in Greenland, and within hours several European partners moved to contribute small but symbolically significant troop deployments. The timing coincided with meetings in Washington between Danish and Greenlandic representatives and senior U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
European officials said the moves were intended to demonstrate unity among NATO allies and to emphasize that the alliance, rather than unilateral action by any one country, is capable of safeguarding security in the Arctic amid increased interest from Russia and China.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that France had already begun deploying personnel, saying the first French military elements were en route and that additional forces would follow.
French authorities said around 15 soldiers from a mountain infantry unit had arrived in Nuuk to take part in military exercises. Germany’s Defense Ministry announced that it would send a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel to Greenland on Thursday, adding to the growing multinational presence.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the objective was to move toward a more enduring military footprint, with Denmark playing a larger role supported by rotating forces from allied countries.
He said soldiers from multiple NATO states would be present on a rotational basis, reinforcing surveillance, training and readiness in the Arctic and North Atlantic.
The deployments followed a tense diplomatic exchange in Washington, where Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, accompanied by Greenland’s foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt, acknowledged that deep differences with the Trump administration remain unresolved.
Rasmussen said it was still clear that the U.S. president harbored ambitions to bring Greenland under American control, but stressed that Denmark would continue dialogue with Washington in the weeks ahead.
Despite the friction, Rasmussen announced the creation of a joint working group with U.S. officials to explore ways to address American security concerns while respecting what he called the “red lines” of the Kingdom of Denmark, which includes Greenland as a semiautonomous territory.
Poulsen later described the working group as a modest but meaningful step forward, while cautioning that diplomatic engagement did not mean tensions had dissipated.
Across Denmark and Greenland, reactions mixed anxiety with cautious relief. In Nuuk, residents said they welcomed the fact that talks had taken place but were left uncertain about their outcome.
Some viewed Denmark’s decision to boost its military presence, and the visible backing from European allies, as reassurance against the possibility of unilateral U.S. action, even though European defense officials have not suggested the deployments are intended to deter the United States.
Maya Martinsen, a 21-year-old resident of Greenland’s capital, said it was comforting to see Nordic and European countries stepping forward. She argued that the dispute was less about security and more about Greenland’s untapped natural resources, including oil and critical minerals.
Similar sentiments were echoed by others who said Greenland’s strategic importance was being framed in geopolitical terms that overlooked the wishes of its people.
Poulsen said Denmark’s decision to increase military activity in the Arctic was driven by uncertainty in the global security environment. He noted that aircraft, ships and troops from Denmark and allied countries would operate in and around Greenland in the coming period.
While NATO declined to comment directly on whether the troop movements were coordinated through the alliance, it has acknowledged that it is examining ways to bolster Arctic security.
Greenlandic lawmakers also weighed in on the unfolding situation. Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam, a member of Greenland’s parliament, said continued dialogue was essential and welcomed efforts to ensure discussions did not end with a single meeting in Washington.
She said Greenlanders understood their territory had become a focal point in broader shifts in the international order, but emphasized that military activities should be conducted with sensitivity to civilian life, particularly around schools and residential areas.
In Denmark, some citizens said the developments offered a measure of reassurance, though concerns lingered. Line McGee, a 38-year-old from Copenhagen, said she felt slightly more optimistic after seeing diplomatic engagement resume, even if the underlying threat had not disappeared.
Rasmussen later reiterated in a television interview that both a military takeover and any notion of the United States purchasing Greenland were unacceptable.
He warned that an invasion would spell the end of NATO and dismissed the idea that Greenlanders could be swayed by financial incentives, arguing that the United States would be unlikely to sustain the Scandinavian-style welfare system that many Greenlanders value.
Trump, for his part, struck a noncommittal tone when asked about the talks, saying only that something would work out. For now, European governments appear determined to signal solidarity with Denmark and Greenland, using both diplomacy and a visible, if limited, military presence to reinforce the message that Greenland’s future will not be decided unilaterally.
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