Several European nations have deployed small numbers of soldiers to the Danish territory as part of a mission intended to boost security in the Arctic region.
The deployment of European troops in Greenland has not dissuaded U.S. President Donald Trump from pursuing his goal of acquiring the Arctic island, the White House said.
“I don’t think troops in Europe impacts the president’s decision-making process or impact his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday when asked whether the arrival of European boots on the ground would impact Trump’s decisions regarding the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Several European nations, including France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the Netherlands, said they would send small numbers of troops to Greenland to take part in a Danish military exercise, with some already having arrived there.
Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in acquiring the strategically located Arctic island, which he says is at risk of falling into the hands of Russia or China, which would open a strategic vulnerability for the United States from the north. Greenland is also rich in oil, gas, and rare earths, which could help to reduce the United States’ reliance on China for imports.
Greenland’s government has insisted the territory is “not for sale,” and that its future must be determined by Greenlanders, who are of chiefly Inuit descent, as well as Denmark. Greenland has not been a colony since 1953, with home rule since 1979, but has been largely under Danish control for more than 600 years.
After a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House on Wednesday, the Danish foreign minister said Denmark and Greenland “still have a fundamental disagreement” with Washington, despite the announcement of a working group to look at bolstering security for the island.
In an address to his country’s armed forces on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would deploy land, air, and naval assets to Greenland in the coming days.
