In response to Donald Trump’s threats to retake control of the self-governing Danish territory, Denmark has sent additional troops to Greenland.
According to public broadcaster DR and other Danish media reports, the Royal Danish Army’s chief, Peter Boysen, and “a substantial contribution” of soldiers made an overnight landing in Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland.
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58 Danish troops reportedly landed in the Arctic, according to a report from TV2’s public broadcaster, along with about 60 others who had already been dispatched earlier to participate in Operation Arctic Endurance, a global military exercise.
Danish armed forces and the Ministry of Defense did not respond to requesting comment right away.
The US president claimed that the vast, mineral-rich Arctic territory is crucial to Washington’s security, but Trump later rejected using military force to overthrow it.
Trump responded to a question about whether he could seize the island by force in an interview with NBC News on Monday, saying, “no comment.”
Trump made the remarks after he informed Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storer that despite receiving this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, he no longer felt compelled to “think purely of peace.”
Denmark has expressed interest in a more powerful US military presence in Greenland, but it has repeatedly stated that it is not interested in selling the island and that any force-asking would end NATO.
Trump’s insistence that Greenland be brought under US control has stifled US-European relations for the first time in decades and sparked concerns about the potential demise of NATO, the transatlantic security alliance, whose 32 members include both the US and Denmark.
An armed attack on any member of the NATO group is regarded as an assault on all, according to Article 5 of the organization’s charter.
To discuss ideas for strengthening Arctic security, including the establishment of a joint NATO mission in the Danish territory, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Motzfeldt on Monday.
The parties had spoken about the significance of the Arctic to “our collective security” and Copenhagen’s growing investments in its defense capabilities, according to Rutte in a statement.
Rutte promised to keep working as allies on these crucial issues.
Following the discussions, Poulsen emphasized the need for unity.
He thanked our allies for standing up for Greenland and Denmark.
The “trade bazooka” of the EU
Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on Denmark and seven other European nations until a deal is reached on buying Greenland raise the possibility of a full-fledged transatlantic trade war at the same time as his actions are putting security ties in jeopardy.
Retaliatory tariffs and the bloc’s anti-coercion mechanism are among the options being considered at the European Union’s scheduled emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss its response to the crisis.
The bloc would be able to impose severe restrictions on US tech firms’ investment and business activities within the single market by triggering the Anti-Coercion Instrument, also known as the “trade bazooka.”
In a meeting with US diplomats on the sidelines of the Davos summit in Switzerland on Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on the day that she had emphasized the “need unequivocally respect the sovereignty” of Denmark and Greenland.
Von der Leyen remarked, “This is of utmost importance to our transatlantic relationship.” The European Union “continues to work closely with the United States, NATO, and other allies, working closely with Denmark to advance our shared security interests at the same time.”
