Greenland Overseas Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, left, and Danish Overseas Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, arrive on Capitol Hill to satisfy with members of the Senate Arctic Caucus, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
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J. Scott Applewhite/AP
NUUK, Greenland — Troops from a number of European international locations, together with France, Germany, Norway and Sweden, are arriving in Greenland to assist enhance the Arctic island’s safety after talks between representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. on Wednesday highlighted “elementary disagreement” between the Trump administration and European allies.
“The primary French army parts are already en route” and “others will observe,” French President Emmanuel Macron introduced Wednesday, as French authorities stated about 15 French troopers from the mountain infantry unit have been already in Nuuk for a army train.
Germany will deploy a reconnaissance group of 13 personnel to Greenland on Thursday, its Protection Ministry stated.
Denmark introduced it could improve its army presence in Greenland, with NATO allies becoming a member of them, simply because the Danish and Greenlandic international ministers met with White Home representatives on Wednesday in Washington to debate U.S. President Donald Trump’s intentions to take over the island with a purpose to faucet its mineral sources and shield the safety of the Arctic area amid rising Russian and Chinese language curiosity.
On Thursday, Danish Protection Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated the intention was “to determine a extra everlasting army presence with a bigger Danish contribution,” in accordance with Danish broadcaster DR. He stated troopers from a number of NATO international locations shall be in Greenland on a rotation system.
Danish Overseas Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, flanked by his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt, stated Wednesday {that a} “elementary disagreement” over Greenland stays with Trump after they held extremely anticipated talks on the White Home with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rasmussen added that it stays “clear that the president has this want of conquering over Greenland.”
“We actually want it,” Trump informed media within the Oval Workplace after the assembly. “If we do not go in, Russia goes to go in and China goes to go in. And there is not a factor Denmark can do about it, however we will do the whole lot about it.”
Trump stated he had not but been briefed in regards to the contents of the White Home assembly when he made his remarks.
In Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, native residents informed The Related Press they have been glad the primary assembly between Greenlandic, Danish and American officers had taken place however urged it left extra questions than solutions.
A number of individuals stated they seen Denmark’s resolution to ship extra troops, and guarantees of help from different NATO allies, as safety towards attainable U.S. army motion. However European army officers haven’t urged the aim is to discourage a U.S. transfer towards the island.
Maya Martinsen, 21, agreed and stated it was “comforting to know that the Nordic international locations are sending reinforcements” as a result of Greenland is part of Denmark and NATO.
The dispute, she stated, will not be about “nationwide safety” however relatively about “the oils and minerals that we’ve which might be untouched.”
Extra troops, extra talks
On Wednesday, Poulsen had introduced a stepped-up army presence within the Arctic “in shut cooperation with our allies,” calling it a necessity in a safety surroundings during which “nobody can predict what’s going to occur tomorrow.”
“Which means from right now and within the coming time there shall be an elevated army presence in and round Greenland of plane, ships and troopers, together with from different NATO allies,” Poulsen stated.
Requested whether or not the European troop actions have been coordinated with NATO or what position the U.S.-led army alliance would possibly play within the workouts, NATO referred all inquiries to the Danish authorities.
Nevertheless, NATO is taking a look at how members can collectively bolster the alliance’s presence within the Arctic, in accordance with a NATO official who was not licensed to remark publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity.
Rasmussen, the Danish international minister, introduced the creation of a working group with the People to debate methods to work via variations.
“The group, in our view, ought to deal with the way to handle the American safety considerations, whereas on the identical time respecting the crimson strains of the Kingdom of Denmark,” he stated.
Commenting on the end result of the Washington assembly on Thursday, Poulsen stated the working group was “higher than no working group” and “a step in the correct course.” He added nonetheless that the dialogue with the U.S. didn’t imply “the hazard has handed.”
Line McGee, a 38-year outdated from Copenhagen, informed AP that she was glad to see some diplomatic progress. “I do not assume the menace has gone away,” she stated. “However I really feel barely higher than I did yesterday.”
Talking to FOX Information Channel’s Particular Report on Wednesday after the White Home talks, Rasmussen rejected each a army takeover and the potential buy of the island by the U.S. Requested whether or not he thinks the U.S. will invade, he replied: “No, at the very least I don’t hope so, as a result of, I imply, that may be the top of NATO.”
Rasmussen stated Greenlanders have been unlikely to vote for U.S. rule even when monetary incentives have been provided “as a result of I feel there is not any approach that U.S. can pay for a Scandinavian welfare system in Greenland, actually talking.”
“You have not launched a Scandinavian welfare system in your individual nation,” he added.
Trump, in his Oval Workplace assembly with reporters, stated: “We’ll see the way it all works out. I feel one thing will work out.”
