As U.S. President Donald Trump continues to threaten to annexe Greenland, Denmark has announced an immediate increase in its military presence in Greenland, deploying troops, aircraft, ships, and other assets to the vast Arctic territory. The move, described by Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen as a response to an ‘unpredictable security environment’, involves heightened exercise activity in close cooperation with NATO allies, including the deployment of fighter jets, drones, and naval vessels.
This reinforcement comes just days after high-level talks in Washington between Danish, Greenlandic, and US officials ended in stalemate, with Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen saying that there was a ‘fundamental disagreement’ over Trump’s insistence that US ownership of Greenland is essential for national security. Rasmussen emphasised that Denmark remains committed to bolstering Arctic security through enhanced capabilities, but firmly rejected any notion of ceding sovereignty, stating that such threats undermine the very foundations of the transatlantic alliance.
Several European nations have announced support for Denmark, and have committed personnel and resources to what has been dubbed Operation Arctic Endurance, a joint exercise aimed at demonstrating unity and deterring external pressures. Under this operation, European NATO members are small exploration teams to Greenland.
Germany announced it would send a 13-member reconnaissance team from the Bundeswehr to explore conditions for further military contributions, with the group set to arrive imminently. Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed the dispatch of an unspecified number of officers to Greenland at Denmark’s request, condemning Trump’s ‘threatening rhetoric’ as destabilising.
France, led by President Emmanuel Macron, pledged participation in the exercises, including mountain warfare units, framing the deployment as a show of European solidarity against undue coercion. Norway is contributing two military personnel, while the United Kingdom is dispatching a single officer to support the operation. Reports also indicate involvement from Canada and the Netherlands.
The crisis stems from Trump’s continued fixation on Greenland, which he has repeatedly described as vital for countering Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic, rich in rare earth minerals and strategic shipping routes. During recent public statements, the US President dismissed Denmark’s defence capabilities, mockingly suggesting they rely on ‘dogsleds’ rather than modern military hardware to protect the island, and insisted that ‘anything less than having Greenland in US hands is unacceptable’.
This rhetoric has alarmed European leaders, prompting a joint statement from the heads of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK reaffirming support for Denmark and warning that any unilateral action would violate international norms, including the UN Charter. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has gone further, declaring that a US attack on Greenland would mark ‘the end of everything’, effectively signalling the potential collapse of NATO if such threats materialise.
Greenland’s government, representing the island’s 56,000 inhabitants, has stood firmly with Denmark, rejecting Trump’s overtures and emphasising their right to self-determination under existing autonomy arrangements. The territory already hosts the US-operated Pituffik Space Base and around 150 American troops under a 1951 defence agreement. US can increase its military presence there, but Trump insists that ownership of the island is vital for USA’s security needs.
