Conflict over Arctic island: Denmark’s NATO allies launch mission in Greenland | EUROtoday

After unsuccessful talks in Washington to resolve the Greenland battle, a number of of Denmark’s NATO allies are sending troopers to the Arctic island. The Bundeswehr can be collaborating within the exploratory mission. An A400M transport aircraft with troopers on board took off from Wunstorf Air Base in Lower Saxony. A disaster assembly between the USA, Denmark and Greenland on Wednesday did not resolve the battle over US possession of the island.

“The aim is to explore the possibilities of ensuring security with a view to Russian and Chinese threats in the Arctic,” stated the Federal Ministry of Defense. This takes place on the invitation and underneath the management of the alliance associate Denmark. “The aim is for us to get a well-founded picture on site for further discussions and planning within NATO.”

The largely autonomous Greenland is a part of the territory of Denmark, a NATO member. However, US President Donald Trump desires to annex the large resource-rich island to the USA. He bases his calls for on safety for the area and the US inhabitants, which he sees as threatened by China and Russia. The Europeans need to persuade him that Greenland can greatest be protected inside the framework of NATO.

Pistorius emphasizes shut coordination, particularly with the USA

When the German contingent departed, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) additionally identified that Russia and China have been more and more utilizing the Arctic militarily and have been thus questioning the liberty of transport, communication and commerce routes. “NATO will not allow this and will continue to advocate for the rules-based international order.” What is essential for him is “that we coordinate very well within NATO, especially with our US partners, on joint exploration in Greenland under Danish leadership.”

Several nations take part in exploration

The exploration led by Denmark will not be a NATO mission – however the nations concerned are member states of the protection alliance. The Ministry of Defense introduced 13 troopers for Germany. Norway is sending two folks, Sweden is sending “some officers”, Finland is sending two and Great Britain is sending one.

French President Emmanuel Macron stated: “A first group of French soldiers is already on site and will be reinforced by land, air and naval forces in the next few days.” On Platform X that evening he spoke of “joint exercises” that Denmark had organized. They have been known as “Operation Arctic Endurance” (in German: “Einsatz Arctic Endurance”).

Spain’s Defense Minister Margarita Robles didn’t rule out Spanish involvement, however urged warning. A US annexation of Greenland can be extraordinarily worrying. “But we will be careful in our decisions,” she stated. “I firmly believe that annexation is unacceptable and extremely serious. But I do not believe that we are in that situation.”

No settlement in Greenland negotiations in Washington

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated in Washington after assembly with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance that there remained a “fundamental disagreement” between the events. The minister chargeable for Greenlandic international coverage, Vivian Motzfeldt, additionally took half within the dialog.

Trump had already made it clear earlier than the hour-long dialog in a US authorities constructing close to the White House that he wouldn’t deviate a millimeter from his purpose. Anything aside from a Greenland within the fingers of the United States is “unacceptable,” Trump wrote on his Internet platform Truth Social.

Exercise within the far north will not be new territory for the Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr troopers didn’t fly on to Greenland, however first to Karup in Denmark, the place there’s a massive air pressure base. According to the Federal Ministry of Defense, Denmark supplied to fly to Greenland with its exploration crew and different companions on Friday. This can be completed with a civilian Danish plane, in response to the Ministry of Defense in Berlin. And additional: “From our point of view, the joint flight is a strong sign of our unity.”

A deployment within the far north will not be new territory for the Bundeswehr. According to a response from the federal authorities to a request from the Left within the Bundestag, German troopers took half in 40 workouts past the Arctic Circle in 2024 and 2025. The “taz” first reported this. The left’s protection coverage spokesman, Ulrich Thoden, seen these workouts within the newspaper as an expression of an “adventurous expansion course” by the Bundeswehr.

The Bundeswehr has a brand new long-range reconnaissance car for monitoring the seas

If NATO desires to broaden surveillance of the waters round Greenland, the Navy may, for instance, participate with its new maritime patrol plane. The first P-8A “Poseidon” plane entered service lately. With the plane, the crew is ready to monitor massive areas of sea, observe ship actions and find submarines utilizing radar, acoustic and optical programs.