European troops arrived in Greenland after talks between European leaders and the US and the message to Donald Trump is pretty clear.
Talks with the US have so far proved a “disagreement” over the Arctic island’s future. Meanwhile, troops from several EU countries continue to arrive in Greenland Thursday in a show of support for Denmark as talks between the US and representatives of Denmark and Greenland quickly highlighted “fundamental disagreement” over the island’s future.
This disagreement reached a starker focus Thursday, with the Trump administration describing plans for talks with officials from Greenland and Denmark. According to Donald Trump, these are “technical talks on the acquisition agreement” for the US to acquire Greenland.
The Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has a different description for the meeting, calling it a working group to discuss ways to work through differences between the nations.
“The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” he said Wednesday after the meeting.
According to the BBC, before the talks with the US, Denmark said it would increase its military presence in Greenland. Meanwhile, a number of European partners, including France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK, started sending symbolic groups of troops to Greenland, while others promised to do so in the coming days.
Rather than a European power grab, the EU troop movements are intended to portray unity among Europeans. That unity is to send a signal to Trump that an American takeover of Greenland is unnecessary, as NATO countries together can safeguard the security of the Arctic amid Russian and Chinese interest.
According to the White House secretary Karoline Leavitt, the “show of force” has no impact on Trump’s decision-making or his ultimate goal of acquiring Greenland.
“The president has made his priority quite clear, that he wants the United States to acquire Greenland. He thinks it’s in our best national security to do that,” she said.
Meanwhile, Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt, said a “fundamental disagreement” still remained after they met in the White House, along with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to Rasmussen, it still “remains clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland.” However, he added that dialogue with the US will continue at a high level over the coming weeks.
Looking at the plans by European leaders, Germany’s Defense Ministry has promised to deploy a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel to Greenland Thursday.
According to Danish broadcaster DR, Thursday saw Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulson saying the intention is “to establish a more permanent military presence with a larger Danish contribution.” He added that soldiers from several NATO countries will be in Greenland on a rotation system.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Wednesday that “the first French military elements are already en route” and “others will follow.” According to French authorities, around 15 soldiers from the mountain infantry unit were already in Nuuk for a military exercise.
While all this meeting, planning and military arrivals in the Arctic nation, inhabitants of both Greenland and Denmark have reacted with anxiety. However, they did have some relief that negotiations are underway and European support is becoming visible.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the continuation of “dialogue and diplomacy.”
“Greenland is not for sale,” he said Thursday. “Greenland does not want to be owned by the United States. Greenland does not want to be governed from the United States. Greenland does not want to be part of the United States.”
