European allies are quietly dispatching small contingents of troops to Greenland after President Donald Trump declared that anything short of placing the vast Arctic island under American control is unacceptable.
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According to Western Journal, Germany, Sweden, France, and Norway have all committed personnel to the remote Danish territory, moves that European leaders are describing as routine cooperation but that come amid a sharp trans-Atlantic dispute over who should ultimately control the strategically vital island.
Canada and France have also signaled their intent to deepen their diplomatic footprint in Greenland, with both countries indicating they will open consulates in Nuuk, the territorys capital, underscoring a broader international push to entrench influence in the Arctic at a moment when Washington is pressing for a far more assertive role.
French President Emmanuel Macron publicly aligned Paris with Copenhagens initiative, announcing that his country would join a new Danish-led military exercise on the island. At Denmarks request, I have decided that France will participate in the joint exercises organised by Denmark in Greenland, Operation Arctic Endurance, Macron posted Wednesday on X, adding, The first French military elements are already en route.
Others will follow, a signal that France intends to be visibly present in a region Trump has argued should fall squarely within the American security umbrella.
Berlin has followed suit, though on a smaller scale, with the German Defense Ministry confirming that a reconnaissance team of 13 soldiers would arrive Thursday for an exploration mission, according to CNN. Swedens center-right government under Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has committed an undisclosed number of troops, while Norway is sending two military personnel, modest deployments that nonetheless collectively represent a European show of the flag in a territory the United States views as central to countering Russian and Chinese ambitions.
These moves come on the heels of high-level talks in Washington that failed to bridge the widening gap between the Biden administrations European partners and the America First vision articulated by Trump and his allies. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen said a frank but also constructive discussion on Greenland took place Wednesday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President J.D. Vance, but acknowledged that fundamental disagreement remains, a diplomatic way of saying that Copenhagen is resisting U.S. efforts to assert more direct control.
Rasmussen noted that a high-level working group to explore if we can find a common way forward will convene in the coming weeks, suggesting that Denmark is trying to buy time while shoring up European involvement on the ground. For conservatives who have long warned that Americas NATO partners often prefer process over decisive action, the creation of yet another working group will likely be seen as a familiar tactic to delay any serious concession to U.S. strategic demands.
While NATO drills in the Arctic are not unusual, the branding and opacity surrounding Operation Arctic Endurance have raised eyebrows among defense observers. Defense News reported that, unlike standard NATO exercises, Operation Arctic Endurance does not appear to have any publicly communicated start or end dates, atypical for NATO exercises, which are usually communicated well in advance, and further noted, There does not appear to be an online record of an operation by that name being publicly discussed prior to Jan. 14. A search of the NATO website similarly returned no results, fueling speculation that the operation may be as much about political signaling as military training.
Trump, for his part, has been explicit about why he believes Greenland must fall under American control, tying the issue directly to national security and U.S. leadership within NATO. The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DONT, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! he wrote on Truth Social, framing the contest over the island as a stark choice between American stewardship and authoritarian expansion.
He went on to remind allies that NATOs strength ultimately rests on U.S. power, much of which he argues was rebuilt during his first term and is now being elevated to an even higher level. Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, NATO would not be an effective force or deterrent Not even close! They know that, and so do I. NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES, he continued, before concluding, Anything less than that is unacceptable. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT.
In a separate post, Trump referenced reporting that Denmark has been alarmed by Russian and Chinese designs on Greenland, and he urged NATO to stop pretending that symbolic gestures are enough. NATO: Tell Denmark to get them out of here, NOW! Two dogsleds wont do it! Only the USA can!!! he posted, capturing a core conservative critique that European governments are content with token deployments and bureaucratic maneuvers while adversaries like Moscow and Beijing move aggressively to secure real leverage in the Arctic.
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