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Greenland International Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, left, and Danish International Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, arrive on Capitol Hill to satisfy with members of the Senate Arctic Caucus, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
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J. Scott Applewhite/AP
NUUK, Greenland — Troops from a number of European international locations, together with France, Germany, Norway and Sweden, are arriving in Greenland to assist increase the Arctic island’s safety after talks between representatives of Denmark, Greenland and the U.S. on Wednesday highlighted “elementary disagreement” between the Trump administration and European allies.
“The primary French army components are already en route” and “others will observe,” French President Emmanuel Macron introduced Wednesday, as French authorities stated about 15 French troopers from the mountain infantry unit have been already in Nuuk for a army train.
Germany will deploy a reconnaissance crew of 13 personnel to Greenland on Thursday, its Protection Ministry stated.
Denmark introduced it will improve its army presence in Greenland, with NATO allies becoming a member of them, simply because the Danish and Greenlandic international ministers met with White Home representatives on Wednesday in Washington to debate U.S. President Donald Trump’s intentions to take over the island to be able to faucet its mineral assets and defend the safety of the Arctic area amid rising Russian and Chinese language curiosity.
On Thursday, Danish Protection Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated the intention was “to ascertain a extra everlasting army presence with a bigger Danish contribution,” based on Danish broadcaster DR. He stated troopers from a number of NATO international locations will likely be in Greenland on a rotation system.
Danish International Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, flanked by his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt, stated Wednesday {that a} “elementary disagreement” over Greenland stays with Trump after they held extremely anticipated talks on the White Home with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rasmussen added that it stays “clear that the president has this want of conquering over Greenland.”
“We actually want it,” Trump instructed media within the Oval Workplace after the assembly. “If we do not go in, Russia goes to go in and China goes to go in. And there is not a factor Denmark can do about it, however we will do all the things about it.”
Trump stated he had not but been briefed concerning the contents of the White Home assembly when he made his remarks.
In Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, native residents instructed The Related Press they have been glad the primary assembly between Greenlandic, Danish and American officers had taken place however urged it left extra questions than solutions.
A number of individuals stated they considered Denmark’s choice to ship extra troops, and guarantees of assist from different NATO allies, as safety in opposition to potential U.S. army motion. However European army officers haven’t urged the objective is to discourage a U.S. transfer in opposition to the island.
Maya Martinsen, 21, agreed and stated it was “comforting to know that the Nordic international locations are sending reinforcements” as a result of Greenland is part of Denmark and NATO.
The dispute, she stated, is just not about “nationwide safety” however somewhat about “the oils and minerals that we’ve got which can be untouched.”
Extra troops, extra talks
On Wednesday, Poulsen had introduced a stepped-up army presence within the Arctic “in shut cooperation with our allies,” calling it a necessity in a safety setting by which “nobody can predict what is going to occur tomorrow.”
“Because of this from as we speak and within the coming time there will likely be an elevated army presence in and round Greenland of plane, ships and troopers, together with from different NATO allies,” Poulsen stated.
Requested whether or not the European troop actions have been coordinated with NATO or what function the U.S.-led army alliance may play within the workouts, NATO referred all inquiries to the Danish authorities.
Nevertheless, NATO is taking a look at how members can collectively bolster the alliance’s presence within the Arctic, based on a NATO official who was not approved to remark publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity.
Rasmussen, the Danish international minister, introduced the creation of a working group with the Individuals to debate methods to work by way of variations.
“The group, in our view, ought to give attention to how you can tackle the American safety considerations, whereas on the identical time respecting the crimson strains of the Kingdom of Denmark,” he stated.
Commenting on the result of the Washington assembly on Thursday, Poulsen stated the working group was “higher than no working group” and “a step in the fitting path.” He added however that the dialogue with the U.S. didn’t imply “the hazard has handed.”
Line McGee, a 38-year previous from Copenhagen, instructed AP that she was glad to see some diplomatic progress. “I do not assume the menace has gone away,” she stated. “However I really feel barely higher than I did yesterday.”
Chatting with FOX Information Channel’s Particular Report on Wednesday after the White Home talks, Rasmussen rejected each a army takeover and the potential buy of the island by the U.S. Requested whether or not he thinks the U.S. will invade, he replied: “No, a minimum of I don’t hope so, as a result of, I imply, that may be the top of NATO.”
Rasmussen stated Greenlanders have been unlikely to vote for U.S. rule even when monetary incentives have been provided “as a result of I feel there isn’t any approach that U.S. pays for a Scandinavian welfare system in Greenland, actually talking.”
“You have not launched a Scandinavian welfare system in your individual nation,” he added.
Trump, in his Oval Workplace assembly with reporters, stated: “We’ll see the way it all works out. I feel one thing will work out.”
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