The Nordic country has sent a ‘substantial contribution’ of troops to the Arctic region amid a row with Washington.
Denmark has sent additional troops to Greenland amid threats by United States President Donald Trump to take over the self-governing Danish territory.
The head of the Royal Danish Army, Peter Boysen, and a “substantial contribution” of soldiers arrived in Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland on Monday evening, public broadcaster DR and other Danish media reported.
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Public broadcaster TV2 reported that 58 Danish troops landed in the Arctic region, joining about 60 others sent earlier to participate in ongoing multinational military exercises called Operation Arctic Endurance.
Denmark’s defense ministry and the Danish armed forces did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The deployment came hours after Trump refused to rule out using military force to seize control of the vast, mineral-rich Arctic region, which the US president claims for Washington’s security.
In an interview with NBC News on Monday, Trump said “no comment” when asked if the island could be taken by force.
Trump said in a text message over the weekend to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Storr that he did not feel obligated to “absolutely think about peace” because he was not awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Denmark has expressed openness to a US military presence in Greenland, but has repeatedly said the territory is not for sale and that any move to force the island would spell the end of NATO.
Trump’s insistence that Greenland must be brought under US control has plunged US-European relations to their lowest level in decades and raised fears of a possible breakup of NATO, the 32-member transatlantic security alliance that includes both the US and Denmark.
Under Article 5 of NATO’s Charter, the Alliance considers an armed attack against any one member to be an attack against all.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met on Monday with Danish Defense Minister Trolls Lund Poulsen and Greenland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Motzfeld to discuss proposals to enhance Arctic security, including the establishment of a joint NATO mission in the Danish region.
Rutte said in a statement that the two sides discussed the Arctic’s importance “to our collective security” and Copenhagen’s growing investment in defense capabilities.
“We will continue to work together as partners on these important issues,” Rutte said.
Paulson stressed the need for unity after the talks.
“Thank you to our allies for standing up for Greenland and Denmark,” he said.
EU’s ‘Trade Bazooka’
At the same time that Trump’s moves are straining security ties, threats to impose tariffs on Denmark and seven other European countries until an agreement is reached to buy Greenland raise the prospect of a full-blown transatlantic trade war.
The European Union is due to hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss its response to the crisis, with retaliatory tariffs and the activation of the bloc’s anti-coercion mechanism among the options under consideration.
By triggering an anti-corruption instrument known as the “trade bazooka,” the bloc would be able to impose sweeping restrictions on the investment and business activities of US tech companies in the single market.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that she had stressed the “need to unequivocally respect” the sovereignty of Denmark and Greenland during a meeting with US diplomats on the sidelines of the Davos summit in Switzerland.
“This is extremely important for our transatlantic relations,” von der Leyen said. “At the same time, the European Union stands ready to continue working with the United States, NATO and other allies, in close cooperation with Denmark, to advance our shared security interests.”
An opinion poll conducted last year by the Danish paper Berlingske suggested that 85 percent of Greenlanders do not want to join the US, compared to just 6 percent in favor.