An Airbus A400M transport plane of the German Air Drive taxis over the grounds at Wunstorf Air Base within the Hanover area, Germany, Thursday, as troops from NATO nations, together with France and Germany, are arriving in Greenland to spice up safety. AP-Yonhap
NUUK/COPENHAGEN — European nations despatched small numbers of army personnel to Greenland on Thursday as Denmark mentioned it was urgent on with plans for a “bigger and extra everlasting” NATO presence to safe the island coveted by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The modest European deployments, meant to assist Denmark put together army workout routines, despatched a robust message of help a day after a gathering of officers from the U.S., Denmark and Greenland failed to succeed in any break-through on the deadlock.
After that assembly, Trump repeated his assertion that Denmark couldn’t be relied upon to guard its autonomous territory, Greenland, if Russia or China ever wished to occupy it.
Trump says the strategically positioned and mineral-rich island is important to U.S. safety and has not dominated out the usage of power to take it. Greenland and Denmark say it’s not on the market and that threats of power are reckless.
On Thursday, Denmark’s defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, instructed journalists in Copenhagen he didn’t have a ultimate determine for the envisaged expanded NATO presence in Greenland.
“However it’s clear that we now will be capable to plan for a bigger and extra everlasting presence all through 2026 and that’s essential to indicate that safety within the Arctic shouldn’t be just for the Kingdom of Denmark it’s for all of NATO.”
Fears for NATO’s future
Outstanding EU nations have backed Denmark, warning {that a} U.S. army seizure of Greenland might spell the tip of NATO.
Earlier than Wednesday’s assembly within the U.S., Greenland and Denmark mentioned they’d begun to extend their army presence in and round Greenland in cooperation with NATO allies.
Denmark had about 150 army and civilian personnel working at its Joint Arctic Command on the island.
Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands have mentioned they’re sending army employees to start preparations for bigger drills later this yr.
In Nuuk, enterprise proprietor Mads Petersen mentioned it could be unusual to see extra army troops.
“I do not hope it’s the new regular,” he mentioned.
Russia mentioned on Thursday NATO’s discuss of Moscow and Beijing being a menace to Greenland was a fantasy designed to whip up hysteria and warned of the hazards of escalating confrontation within the area.
Nonetheless, any try and ignore Russia’s pursuits within the Arctic wouldn’t go unanswered, a overseas ministry spokeswoman later mentioned.
There’s at the moment little proof that a lot of Chinese language and Russian ships sail close to Greenland’s coasts.
Preliminary deployment seems small
Danish International Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen mentioned on Wednesday about 200 U.S. troops had been at the moment stationed in Greenland, which has a inhabitants of round 57,000.
The dimensions of the deliberate European army build-up has not been made public, however preliminary deployments seem small.
The German Armed Forces had been deploying a reconnaissance group of 13, first to Copenhagen, earlier than heading on to Greenland with Danish personnel. Late on Wednesday, a Danish Air Drive aircraft landed at Nuuk airport and personnel in army fatigues disembarked.
Sweden was sending three officers, Norway two. France was sending about 15 mountain specialists, which might be strengthened within the coming days by land, air and naval belongings, French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned.
France and the EU should be “unyielding in upholding territorial sovereignty”, he mentioned.
One British officer was becoming a member of the reconnaissance group. The Netherlands mentioned it could ship one navy officer. Finland would ship two army liaison officers.
The European army deployment to Greenland sends two messages to the U.S. administration, mentioned Marc Jacobsen, an affiliate professor on the Royal Danish Defence Faculty.
“One is to discourage, is to indicate that ‘for those who determine to do one thing militarily, we’re able to defend Greenland’,” he instructed Reuters. “And the opposite function is to say: ‘Properly, we take your critique severely, we improve our presence, deal with our sovereignty, and enhance surveillance over Greenland’.”
After assembly U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday, Rasmussen and Greenland’s overseas minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, mentioned the U.S. and Denmark would kind a working group to debate considerations relating to the island.
Addressing some 300 Greenlanders gathered in Copenhagen, Greenland’s prime minister burdened the necessity for unity, and acquired a standing ovation when he mentioned the island didn’t wish to be run by, or turn out to be a part of, the USA.
“We select the Greenland we all know at present, as a part of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Jens-Frederik Nielsen mentioned.
