A small French military contingent has arrived in Greenland's capital Nuuk, officials say, as several European states deploy small numbers in a so-called reconnaissance mission.
The limited deployment, which also involves Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, and the UK, comes as US President Donald Trump continues to press his claim to the Arctic island, which is a semi-autonomous part of Denmark.
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.
Poivre d'Arvor said the initial French deployment involved 15 people, hours after Denmark and Greenland's foreign ministers traveled to Washington for a meeting with US Vice-President JD Vance on Wednesday. Following the meeting, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said while the talks were constructive, there remained a fundamental disagreement between the two sides and later criticized Trump's bid to buy Greenland.
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.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated she doesn't think the deployment of additional European troops to Greenland will impact the president's decision-making process on the Arctic territory. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that any US military intervention there would be a political disaster.
Russia's embassy in Belgium expressed serious concern regarding developments 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 a Danish-led joint exercises called Operation Arctic Endurance. Finland is sending two military liaison officers for what it said was a fact-finding mission during the current planning stages of the operation.
Germany is sending an A400M transport plane to Nuuk on Thursday with a contingent of 13 soldiers, although officials said they would stay in Greenland only until Saturday.
Danish defence officials, in collaboration with the Greenland government, have decided on an increased military presence around Greenland for the foreseeable future, aiming to bolster NATO's footprint in the Arctic for the benefit of both European and transatlantic security.
Macron emphasized the special responsibility Europeans have regarding Greenland, highlighting its EU territory and NATO ally status. This deployment comes amidst rising concerns over global security dynamics as leaders continue to assess the geopolitical landscape in the Arctic region.
