European troops arrive in Greenland amid Donald Trump
NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Troops from several European countries continued to arrive in Greenland on Thursday in a show of support for Denmark, as talks between representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the United States highlighted a “fundamental disagreement” over the future of the Arctic island.
Denmark announced it would increase its military presence in Greenland on Wednesday as the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland prepared to meet with White House representatives in Washington.
Several European partners – including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden – began sending symbolic amounts of troops as early as Wednesday or promised to do so in the coming days.
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The troop movements were aimed at portraying unity among Europeans and sending a signal to President Donald Trump that a US takeover of Greenland is not necessary as NATO as a whole can safeguard the security of the Arctic region amid growing interest from Russia and China.
“The first French military elements are already on their way” and “others will follow,” French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday, as French authorities said that about 15 soldiers from the mountain infantry unit were already in Nuuk for a military exercise.
Germany will deploy a 13-person reconnaissance team to Greenland on Thursday, the Defense Ministry said.
On Thursday, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the intention was to “establish a more permanent military presence with a greater Danish contribution,” according to Danish broadcaster DR. He said soldiers from several NATO countries will be in Greenland in a rotation system.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, flanked by his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt, said Wednesday that Trump continues to have a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland after they held long-awaited talks at the White House with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rasmussen added that it remains “clear that the president has the desire to conquer Greenland,” but that dialogue with the United States will continue at a high level in the coming weeks.
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‘Greenland does not want to be part of the United States’
The inhabitants of Greenland and Denmark reacted with anxiety, but also with some relief that negotiations with the United States were continuing and that European support was becoming visible.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the continuation of “dialogue and diplomacy.”
“Greenland is not for sale,” he said Thursday. “Greenland doesn’t want to be owned by the United States. Greenland doesn’t want to be governed by the United States. Greenland doesn’t want to be part of the United States.”
In Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, local residents told The News they were glad the first meeting between Greenlandic, Danish and American officials had taken place, but suggested it left more questions than answers.
Several people said they viewed Denmark’s decision to send more troops and pledges of support from other NATO allies as protection against possible U.S. military action. But European military officials have not suggested that the goal is to deter a US move against the island.
Maya Martinsen, 21, said it was “comforting to know that the Nordic countries are sending reinforcements” because Greenland is part of Denmark and NATO.
The dispute, he said, is not about “national security” but rather about “the oil and minerals that we have and that are intact.”
More troops, more conversations
On Wednesday, Poulsen announced an increased military presence in the Arctic “in close cooperation with our allies,” calling it a necessity in a security environment where “no one can predict what will happen tomorrow.”
“This means that from today and in the future there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland of aircraft, ships and soldiers, including from other NATO allies,” Poulsen said.
When asked whether European troop movements were coordinated with NATO or what role the U.S.-led military alliance might play in the exercises, NATO referred all questions to Danish authorities. However, NATO is currently studying ways to strengthen security in the Arctic.
The Russian embassy in Brussels on Thursday criticized what it called the West’s “war plans” in response to the “phantom threats that they themselves generate.” He said the planned military actions were part of a NATO “anti-Russian and anti-Chinese agenda.”
“Russia has consistently maintained that the Arctic must remain a territory of peace, dialogue and equal cooperation,” the embassy said.
Rasmussen announced the creation of a working group with the Americans to discuss ways to overcome differences.
“The group, in our opinion, should focus on how to address American security concerns, while respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said.
Some diplomatic advances
Commenting on the outcome of Thursday’s Washington meeting, Poulsen said the working group was “better than no working group” and “a step in the right direction.” However, he added that dialogue with the United States does not mean that “the danger has passed.”
“We are very happy that steps are being taken to ensure that this discussion does not end with just that meeting,” Greenlandic MP Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam said during a news conference in Copenhagen on Thursday.
He said Greenlanders understood that they were a “pivotal point” in a broader transformation of the rules-based international order and that they felt responsible not only for themselves but also for the entire world to get it right.
Høegh-Dam said military operations should not occur “right next to our schools and right next to our kindergartens.”
Line McGee, 38, of Copenhagen, told the AP she was glad to see some diplomatic progress. “I don’t think the threat has gone away,” he said. “But I feel a little better than yesterday.”
Trump, meeting with reporters in the Oval Office, said: “We’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out.”
Niemann reported from Copenhagen, Denmark, and Ciobanu from Warsaw, Poland.