What Lies Ahead for Greenland? Denmark Deploys More European Troops to Its Territory
U.S., Danish, and Greenlandic officials have gathered to discuss President [name]’s ambitions regarding Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. Meanwhile, Denmark and several European allies are dispatching troops to Greenland as a clear signal to strengthen the vast [area].
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated following a Wednesday meeting in Washington with his Greenlandic counterpart, U.S. President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that a ‘fundamental disagreement’ persisted. He admitted, ‘We didn’t succeed in changing the American position,’ but stated he hadn’t expected to.
However, Wednesday’s events did point to ways ahead.
Searching for a compromise
Denmark, Greenland, and the U.S. agreed to establish a high-level working group ‘to explore whether we can find a common path forward,’ Løkke Rasmussen said. He further mentioned that he anticipates the group will hold its initial meeting ‘within a few weeks.’
Danish and Greenlandic officials did not specify who would be in the group or provide other details. Løkke Rasmussen stated the group should concentrate on addressing U.S. security concerns while upholding Denmark’s ‘red lines.’ The two nations are [placeholder].
“Whether that is feasible, I don’t know,” he added, expressing hope that the initiative could “cool down the situation.”
He didn’t elaborate on what a compromise might entail, and expectations are low. As Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated on Thursday, having the group is better than having no working group, and ‘it’s a step in the right direction.’ It will at least enable the two parties to communicate with each other rather than just about each other.
Trump has repeatedly maintained that the U.S. should Greenland for its national security. He has attempted to justify his calls for a U.S. acquisition by repeatedly asserting that China and Russia have their own ambitions for Greenland, which harbors vast untapped reserves of critical minerals.
Sending a military signal
As the talks were ongoing in Washington on Wednesday, the Danish Defense Ministry declared it was augmenting its military presence in Greenland, alongside NATO allies. France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden each announced they were dispatching in a symbolic yet explicit move to demonstrate solidarity with Copenhagen.
The U.K. stated that one British officer was part of what it termed a reconnaissance group for an Arctic endurance exercise. The German Defense Ministry, which dispatched 13 troops, stated the objective is to explore ‘possibilities to ensure security in light of Russian and Chinese threats in the Arctic.’ It mentioned sending them on a joint flight from Denmark as ‘a strong signal of our unity.’
Poulsen stated, ‘The Danish Armed Forces, along with several Arctic and European allies, will examine in the coming weeks how to practically implement an increased presence and exercise activities in the Arctic.’
On Thursday, he stated, as reported by Danish broadcaster DR, that the intention was ‘to establish a more permanent military presence with a greater Danish contribution’ and to invite allies to participate in exercises and training on a rotational basis.
Although the European troops are currently mostly symbolic, the timing was not coincidental.
Maria Martisiute, an analyst at the European Policy Center in Brussels, stated, ‘The deployment serves both to send a political and military signal to the U.S., but also to recognize that Arctic security should be further strengthened. And above all, this should be accomplished through allied efforts, not by the U.S. coming and attempting to take over. Thus, it complicates the situation for the U.S.’
Talking to NATO
The European efforts are led by Denmark and not coordinated via NATO, which is dominated by the United States. However, European allies are eager to involve NATO, and Germany stated, ‘The aim is to obtain a solid understanding of the situation on the ground for further talks and planning within NATO.’
Poulsen has mentioned that he and Greenland’s foreign minister intend to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Monday to discuss security in and around the Arctic. NATO has been exploring methods to enhance security in the Arctic region.
Martisiute stated, ‘I am really anticipating an announcement of some military activity or deployment under NATO’s framework. Otherwise, there is indeed a risk that… NATO could be paralyzed, which would not be favorable.’
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Sylvain Plazy in Brussels contributed to this report.