Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that the defense of Greenland is a “shared concern” for the entire NATO alliance, as troops have begun arriving from Europe following threats by Donald Trump to take the Arctic island by force.
Troops from France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden, among others, traveled toward Greenland, a largely autonomous territory of the Danish kingdom, on Thursday. Denmark also announced an increase in its military presence.
This followed a difficult meeting in Washington on Wednesday between the foreign ministers of Greenland and Denmark, Vivian Motzfeldt and Lars Lokke Rasmussen, and the United States (U.S.) Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The visit was intended to smooth relations between Denmark, Greenland, and the U.S., but it did not achieve the desired effect. After the meeting, Trump repeated his earlier comments that the U.S. “needs” Greenland for national security, adding that Denmark cannot be relied upon to defend the island and that “something will work out.”
A “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland
Frederiksen said the meeting “was not easy” and that a working group has now been established to discuss how to improve security in the Arctic. “However, that does not change the fact that there is a fundamental disagreement because the U.S. ambition to take over Greenland remains unchanged,” she added. “This is obviously serious, and therefore we are continuing our efforts to prevent that scenario from becoming reality.”
According to her, there is agreement within NATO that a “strengthened presence in the Arctic is crucial for the security of Europe and North America.” She added that Denmark has “significantly invested in new Arctic capabilities,” while “a number of allies” are participating in joint exercises “in and around” Greenland.
France, Germany, and Denmark send troops to Greenland
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the first members of the French military are “already on the way” and that “others will follow.” About 15 French soldiers from a mountain infantry unit were already in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, for military exercises, French authorities reported. Meanwhile, Germany announced that it would send a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel to Greenland. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said he plans to establish a “more permanent military presence” in Greenland “with a larger Danish contribution.” Soldiers from several NATO member states will be present in Greenland on a rotational basis, he said.
Continuing disagreements
After the meeting in Washington, Lokke Rasmussen said there remains a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland, adding that it is “clear that the president has a desire to conquer Greenland.”
Trump said: “We really need it.” He added: “If we don’t go in, Russia will go in, and China will go in. And there is nothing Denmark can do about it, but we can do everything about it.”
