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Prime Minister Mark Carney is considering sending troops to Greenland for military exercises with NATO allies as US President Donald Trump threatens to impose tariffs on European countries unless they allow them to buy and control the semi-autonomous island.
Two senior Canadian officials He told CBC News that emergency plans were drawn up and submitted to the federal government last week.
A Royal Canadian Air Force contingent is taking part in a previously planned NORAD exercise in Greenland, but the prime minister is weighing whether to send more forces in a planned sovereignty exercise by the Danes, which includes exercises to protect the Arctic island’s critical infrastructure.
Given the political implications of Canada’s accession and potential damage from the Trump administration, both sources said they were unsure which way the government would back.
CBC is not naming the sources because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
The United States will impose additional tariffs on several European countries until the United States can buy Greenland, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday in a real social forum.
Among the options, if a few Canadian troops are called up, they could travel to Greenland over the weekend, the sources said.
News of their possible deployment was first reported by the Globe and Mail.
While the countries involved are all NATO members, the sources stressed, Denmark’s participation in the exercise is outside the framework of the Western military alliance – just as efforts to help Ukraine fall within the coalition of the willing.
Over the weekend, Trump reiterated his demand for the US to buy and control Greenland, saying China and Russia wanted the island.
On social media, he threatened to impose a 10 percent tax on eight European countries that oppose his proposal: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland.
If the United States does not reach an agreement to buy Greenland, the tariffs will rise to 25 percent on June 1, Trump added.
Countries named after Trump have backed Denmark, warning that a US military occupation of NATO territory could undermine the Washington-led military alliance.
The eight European countries said in a statement Sunday morning that they stand in full solidarity with the people of Greenland and are “ready to engage in dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity that we stand behind.”
The statement added: “Tariff threats disrupt transatlantic links and expose dangerous downstream travel.”
Especially Denmark It was announced earlier this week It will strengthen its military, naval and air presence in Greenland in cooperation with NATO allies.
Canada ‘concerned’ by Trump threat: Carney
Carney said at a press conference in Doha, Qatar on Saturday morning that Canada is “concerned” by Trump’s threat of tariffs and that “we always support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries, regardless of their geographic location.”
The prime minister added: “The decisions about the future of Greenland are the decisions of Greenland and Denmark.”
General Jenny Carignan, Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces, will discuss Canadian security and priorities for the Canadian Armed Forces with Rosemary Barton. In addition, Dutch former defense chief General Dick Berlijn talks about the current threat from US President Donald Trump and how the EU is preparing to respond. And, Northwest Territories Premier RJ Simpson joins to talk about his state’s concerns about Arctic security threats.
General Jenny Carignan, Chief of Defense Staff, said in an interview on CBC Rosemary Barton Live Trump’s desire to control Greenland will definitely lead to “discussions in NATO”.
Asked if Canada was working on a proposal to contribute Canadian forces on the ground, he said Canada is “always working closely with our Danish partner.”
“There’s certainly a lot of interest from a NATO perspective in Arctic security, and we’re going to work together to make that happen,” Carinan said.