Amid a conflict with the United States over Greenland, Germany’s armed forces are sending soldiers to the Arctic island. Thirteen German soldiers are due to arrive in the capital Nuuk on Thursday as part of a European reconnaissance team, the Defence Ministry said on Wednesday. A crisis meeting in Washington had earlier ended without results, and according to Danish officials, US President Donald Trump continues to maintain his claim to Greenland.
According to officials in Berlin, the German soldiers are expected to remain in Greenland until Saturday. Their task is to examine the “framework conditions for possible military contributions to support Denmark in ensuring security in the region,” including capabilities such as maritime surveillance. Other European nations are taking part in the reconnaissance mission alongside Germany. NATO members France and Sweden have also announced the deployment of soldiers.
The dispute over Greenland threatens to divide NATO. A meeting of senior representatives from the United States, Denmark, and Greenland in Washington failed to produce a solution. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said afterwards that Trump still wanted to “conquer” Greenland. Rasmussen spoke alongside Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt after talks with US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House.
Trump himself struck an unusually conciliatory tone after the meeting, which he did not attend. The United States had “a very good relationship with Denmark,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “I think something will come of it.” Shortly before, however, Trump had reaffirmed the United States’ claim to Greenland. The US must control Greenland, he said, adding that anything else would be “unacceptable.” The vast Arctic island was crucial for building the US missile defence shield “Golden Dome,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In recent days, Trump has also justified his claim in geopolitical terms. “If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will,” he said, adding, “and I will not allow that.” The US president did not rule out military means. These remarks have caused deep concern among European NATO allies about the future of the defence alliance. Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, which, like the United States, is a NATO member. The Arctic island has no armed forces of its own.
Shortly before the crisis talks at the White House, the Danish government announced it would strengthen its military presence in Greenland. The army would immediately deploy units for exercises on the island, the foreign ministry in Copenhagen said. This would lead to “an increased military presence in and around Greenland,” including aircraft, ships, and soldiers, also from NATO allies.
Sweden also announced it would send additional military personnel to Greenland. Commanders had been instructed to prepare the next stages of the exercise “Operation Arctic Endurance,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X. Several thousand soldiers from “several allied countries” were involved in the exercise, he said.
Experts appointed by the United Nations said Trump’s claim to power was reminiscent of “the logic of colonial rule.” The group called on the United States to respect Greenland’s right to self-determination. The seven experts were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations as an organisation.
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