As U.S. leaders continue to refuse to rule out annexing Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, several European NATO countries are sending small groups of troops to the Arctic region for joint military exercises with Denmark, CNN reported.
The kingdom, which is responsible for Greenland’s defense and foreign affairs, said it is increasing its military presence on the island «in close cooperation with NATO allies.» Officials in Copenhagen warned that any military attack on Greenland would effectively end NATO, since Greenland is part of the alliance through Denmark.
Germany, Sweden, France and Norway have confirmed they are sending personnel to Greenland to train and prepare for a joint military exercise called «Operation Arctic Endurance.» Canada and France have also announced plans to open consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, in the coming weeks.
Although it’s not unusual for NATO members to send troops for training, the timing of the exercise reflects growing European concern over President Donald Trump’s statements that the U.S. should «protect» Greenland. Trump has repeatedly claimed that if the U.S. does not act, Russia or China could take control of the world’s largest island. He has also said the U.S. is prepared to take control of Greenland «whether they like it or not.»
Despite their concerns, Danish officials have sought to downplay the risk of armed conflict, with Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen calling such a scenario «completely hypothetical» and emphasizing that it is unlikely any NATO country would attack another.
Earlier this week, Danish and Greenlandic officials traveled to Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance. After the meeting, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said the talks were open and constructive, but “fundamental disagreement” remains. Both sides agreed to establish a high-level working group to explore possible next steps.
Meanwhile, shortly before the talks, Trump wrote in a post that anything less than full US control of the Arctic island was «unacceptable.»
