NATO countries deploy to Greenland after tense negotiations at the White House

Several NATO members are deploying a small number of troops to Greenland for a joint military exercise, following tense discussions at the White House over the US push to annex Greenland.

Denmark, responsible for Greenland’s defense, Germany, France, Sweden and Norway have all confirmed plans to send military personnel to the sparsely populated island this week.

US President Donald Trump has renewed his intention to take the island following a bold military intervention in Venezuela aimed at removing its president, Nicolás Maduro, on January 3.

The troop deployment comes shortly after the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland spoke at the White House with US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Speaking to reporters alongside Greenland’s Vivian Motzfeldt, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said there had been a “fundamental disagreement” with the United States, but said the hour-long meeting was “frank but constructive.”

Vance and Rubio did not immediately comment after the meeting. Trump, however, told reporters in the Oval Office: “We need Greenland for national security.”

The United States, Denmark and Greenland agreed to create a high-level working group to discuss the island’s future, although, as widely expected, the three countries failed to find a diplomatic solution to defuse tensions.

Ahead of the meeting, Denmark announced plans on Wednesday to strengthen its military presence in and around Greenland, saying the exercise’s activities could include protecting national infrastructure, deploying combat aircraft and conducting naval operations.

The German Defense Ministry announced that it would deploy a 13-person “reconnaissance team” to Nuuk, Greenland, at the invitation of Denmark.

The mission, which will take place from Thursday to Saturday, aims to explore the framework for possible military contributions to ensure security in the region, the German Defense Ministry said, including maritime surveillance capabilities.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a social media post that France would also participate in joint exercises hosted by Denmark in Greenland, calling them “Operation Arctic Endurance.”

“The first French military elements are already on the way. Others will follow,” Macron said on Wednesday on X, according to a Google translation.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said several Swedish armed forces officers were expected to arrive in Greenland starting Wednesday.

“They are part of a group of several allied countries. Together they will prepare the upcoming elements of the Danish exercise Operation Arctic Endurance,” Kristersson said via X, according to a translation.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who previously warned that a U.S. attack on Greenland would mark the end of NATO, thanked Greenland’s Rasmussen and Motzfeldt for countering U.S. claims during negotiations.

“It was not an easy meeting,” Frederiksen said in a Facebook post Thursday, according to a translation.

“A working group is currently being established to discuss how security in the Arctic can be strengthened. This, however, does not change the fact that there is a fundamental disagreement, because the US ambition to seize Greenland is intact,” Frederiksen said.

The Danish Prime Minister also mentioned that a number of NATO allies are currently contributing to joint exercises in and around Greenland. “The defense and protection of Greenland is a common concern of the entire NATO alliance,” she added.

Opinion polls have shown that Greenlanders overwhelmingly oppose American control, while a strong majority supports Danish independence.

Denmark has pledged to increase health spending and infrastructure investment in recent months, while seeking to defuse tensions with the Trump administration by investing in Arctic defense, including purchasing 16 additional F-35 fighter jets.

“We have stepped up our efforts. We have allocated almost $15 billion in the last two years alone for capabilities in the High North. We have been lobbying within the NATO Arctic states for greater NATO engagement,” Rasmussen said on Wednesday.

“We have not succeeded in changing the American position. It is clear that the president has this desire to conquer Greenland,” he continued.

“We have made it very clear that this is not in the best interests of the kingdom.”