Germany announces willingness to deploy troops to Greenland

2025-02-06 07:21:09

(MENAFN) Germany may contribute troops to a proposed NATO mission in Greenland, as European members of the military alliance seek to counter the rising tensions caused by President Donald Trump’s push for U.S. Sovereignty over the Danish island, according to reports from Der Spiegel on Tuesday. The initiative is aimed at easing the pressure stemming from Trump’s national security rationale, which frames Greenland as a strategic location for bolstering U.S. influence in the Arctic in the face of growing competition from Russia and China. Additionally, Greenland's mineral wealth, increasingly accessible due to climate change, further fuels Trump's interest in the island.

While Trump has not ruled out using military force or economic pressure to achieve his objectives, EU leaders, along with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, have discussed the possibility of enhancing NATO’s presence in Greenland to reduce the strain on Denmark, NATO’s ally. Rutte has publicly stressed NATO's commitment to addressing shared geopolitical challenges.

Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of Germany’s parliamentary defense committee, expressed support for sending German troops, emphasizing that it would serve as a signal to the U.S. that Greenland cannot be claimed unilaterally. On the other hand, German MEP Hannah Neumann criticized the plan, calling it an inappropriate response to what she deemed Trump’s "irrational fantasies."

Despite Trump’s claims, Denmark has shown no intention of ceding sovereignty over Greenland, with a recent poll indicating only 6% of its residents favoring U.S. annexation. In response to rising tensions, Copenhagen has promoted initiatives to strengthen Greenlandic identity and announced plans to ban foreign political donations related to the island.

While Russia has refrained from backing either side in the sovereignty debate, it has raised concerns about the growing militarization of the Arctic. Russian Ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, noted that the U.S. already enjoys unrestricted military access to Greenland under a 1951 treaty with Denmark, warning that NATO's increasingly confrontational posture undermines regional stability.

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