A Royal Danish Air Pressure (RDAF) Lockheed C-130J Tremendous Hercules is parked on the tarmak at Nuuk worldwide airport on January 15, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland, the day after it arrived transporting Danish navy personnel.
Alessandro Rampazzo | Afp | Getty Pictures
A number of NATO members are deploying small numbers of troops to Greenland for a joint navy train, within the wake of tense talks with the White Home concerning the U.S. want to annex it.
Denmark, which is chargeable for Greenland’s protection, Germany, France, Sweden, and Norway have all confirmed plans to ship navy personnel to the sparsely populated island this week.
Trump has renewed his sights on taking the island following an audacious navy intervention in Venezuela to depose its president Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3.
The troop deployment comes shortly after the international ministers of Denmark and Greenland held talks with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the White Home.
Talking to reporters alongside Greenland’s Vivian Motzfeldt, Danish International Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen mentioned there had been a “elementary disagreement” with the U.S., however mentioned the hour-long assembly was “frank however constructive.”
Vance and Rubio didn’t instantly remark after the assembly. U.S. President Donald Trump, nonetheless, informed reporters within the Oval Workplace: “We want Greenland for nationwide safety.”
The U.S., Denmark, and Greenland agreed to ascertain a high-level working group to debate the way forward for the island, though, as had been broadly anticipated, the three international locations have been unable to discover a diplomatic decision to defuse tensions.
(L/R) Danish International Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland’s International Minister Vivian Motzfeldt communicate throughout a information convention on the Danish Embassy in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2026.
Oliver Contreras | Afp | Getty Pictures
Earlier than the assembly, Denmark introduced plans on Wednesday to beef up its navy presence in and round Greenland, saying the train actions might embody guarding nationwide infrastructure, deploying fighter plane and conducting naval operations.
Germany’s Protection Ministry mentioned it could deploy a “reconnaissance workforce” of 13 personnel to Nuuk, Greenland, on the invitation of Denmark.
The mission, which is able to happen Thursday by Saturday, is designed to discover the framework for attainable navy contributions to make sure safety within the area, Germany’s Protection Ministry mentioned, together with maritime surveillance capabilities.
‘Operation Arctic Endurance’
French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned in a social media submit that France may even take part within the joint workout routines organized by Denmark in Greenland, referring to it as “Operation Arctic Endurance.”
“The primary French navy parts are already on their method. Others will observe,” Macron mentioned Wednesday on X, in line with a Google translation.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson mentioned a number of officers from Sweden’s armed forces have been scheduled to reach in Greenland from Wednesday.
“They’re a part of a bunch from a number of allied international locations. Collectively, they are going to put together for upcoming parts inside the framework of the Danish train Operation Arctic Endurance,” Kristersson through X, in line with a translation.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who has beforehand warned {that a} U.S. assault on Greenland would mark the tip of NATO, thanked Rasmussen and Greenland’s Motzfeldt for countering the American claims on the talks.
“It was not a straightforward assembly,” Frederiksen mentioned in a Fb submit on Thursday, in line with a translation.
Greenland residents and political leaders have publicly rejected strategies by U.S. President Donald Trump that the Arctic island might grow to be a part of america.
Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Pictures
“A working group is now being established to debate how safety within the Arctic could be strengthened. Nonetheless, that doesn’t change the actual fact that there’s a elementary disagreement as a result of the American ambition to take over Greenland is undamaged,” Frederiksen mentioned.
The Danish prime minister additionally talked about that quite a few NATO allies have been at the moment contributing to joint train actions in and round Greenland. “The protection and safety of Greenland is a typical concern for your entire NATO alliance,” she added.
Denmark: ‘We’ve got been stepping up’
Opinion polls have proven that Greenlanders overwhelmingly oppose U.S. management, whereas a robust majority help independence from Denmark.
Denmark has pledged to spice up health-care spending and infrastructure investments in current months, whereas additionally in search of to defuse tensions with the Trump administration by investing in Arctic protection, together with the acquisition of 16 extra F-35 fighter jets.
“We’ve got been stepping up. We’ve got allotted virtually $15 billion inside simply the final couple of years to capabilities within the Excessive North. We’ve got been pushing inside the Arctic NATO states for larger NATO engagement,” Rasmussen mentioned on Wednesday.
“We did not handle to alter the American place. It is clear that the president has this want of conquering over Greenland,” he continued.
“We made it very, very clear that this isn’t within the curiosity of the dominion.”
