A small contingent of European troops has arrived in Greenland with political symbolism amid rising tensions between the United States and its European allies over the future of the Arctic island.
This week 15 French troops landed in Nuuk, the Greenland capital, joined by 13 German personnel, with Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom also taking part in what European officials described as a reconnaissance and training mission. The deployment comes after talks between Denmark, Greenland and the United States over what Danish officials called “fundamental disagreements” over President Donald Trump's renewed effort to bring Greenland under US control.
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French President Emmanuel Macron said the initial deployment would soon be reinforced with land, air and sea resources, describing the mission as a demonstration that European forces can be deployed quickly when needed. French mountain infantry troops are already on the ground, and the exercise will also include a symbolic planting of the EU flag.
Germany's Defense Ministry confirmed its team would only stay in Greenland for a short period as part of a Denmark-led joint exercise known as Operation Arctic Endurance. Danish defense officials said the broader aim was to strengthen NATO's footprint in the Arctic through rotating deployments that could later become more permanent.
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The move follows high-level meetings in Washington, where Danish Foreign Minister Lars Loke Rasmussen and Greenland's Foreign Minister met US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. While Rasmussen described the talks as constructive, he later said there were still deep disagreements over Washington's intentions.
“It's 2026. You trade with people, but you don't trade people,” Rasmussen said, dismissing Trump's suggestion that Greenland could be bought.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen struck an equally firm tone, saying his territory is facing a geopolitical crisis but has no desire to change its situation. He said, “Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be ruled by the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.”
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Trump has stressed that the island is vital to US national security, telling reporters in the Oval Office that “we need Greenland for national security”, while suggesting that Denmark could not defend it against Russia or China alone. He later said that he believed a solution could be found without the use of force.
European leaders have reacted cautiously. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that any attempt by one NATO member to annex the territory of another would be disastrous, calling it “the end of the world as we know it”. Meanwhile, Russia accused NATO of using false threats from Moscow and Beijing to justify an increased military presence in the Arctic.
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Although the European deployment numbers only a few dozen troops and is expected to be short-term, diplomats say its message is clear. Senior French diplomat Oliver Poivre d'Arvers described it as a political signal to Washington, saying: “This is the first exercise. We will show the US that NATO exists.”
