Greenland: European troops arriving to defend island’s sovereignty

Brussels – European states are attempting to defend Greenland’s sovereignty by sending troops to the island. German, French, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian soldiers have left for Nuuk, Greenland’s capital. The decision comes after the failed meeting in Washington between Denmark, Greenland, and the United States. During the meeting, which lasted just under an hour, Vice-President JD Vance reconfirmed the United States’ desire to take control of the island for national security reasons. This ambition was also confirmed by the Danish Foreign Minister after the meeting: “The President (Trump, ed.) wants to conquer Greenland.”

NOW: Denmark’s Foreign Minister after the Greenland meeting:

“It’s clear the president has a wish to conquer Greenland.”

That’s not diplomacy. That’s colonial language, out loud. pic.twitter.com/g9GMxXHuPn

— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) January 14, 2026

European troops on the ice

The European counter-move came promptly and can be interpreted in two ways. On the one hand, as an acceptance of US demands for greater military involvement on the island. On the other hand, by setting foot on Greenlandic soil, the Europeans want to prevent any US coup. The gamble is that there can be no American attack if allied troops are present.

European contingents will be deployed on the island today. Their numbers will be symbolic, and they will stay on the island for a few days, following the guidelines of the Danish exercise Operation Arctic Endurance. Germany is at the forefront of support for Denmark. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said that “the exploration of Greenland will take place from Thursday to Saturday,” adding that a reconnaissance team of 13 Bundeswehr members will participate. Around fifteen French troops have already arrived on Greenlandic soil. However, President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that “other land, air, and sea assets will arrive in Greenland in the coming days.”

BREAKING:
Danish military forces start arriving in Greenland.

pic.twitter.com/RrXAB4brta

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) 15 January 2026

Spain considers it, Italy observes

Spain, on the other hand, is still uncertain, engaged in a new wave of interventionism after the announcement of possible Spanish troops in Ukraine, which began a week ago. Today, Foreign Minister Margarita Robles, questioned by reporters, said that sending troops “could be an option“. Italy’s role, on the other hand, remains low-key. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke of a “solution” with the United States to be achieved through “dialogue.”.In any case, the “direct use of troops” is ruled out.

The Kremlin annoyed

The movements in the Arctic have annoyed the Kremlin. “The militaristic spirit within the Alliance is only growing stronger,” commented the Russian Federation’s embassy in Belgium. Not forgetting to mention the disagreements within the Atlantic Alliance: “Faced with disagreements within the bloc on the issue of Greenland, its ability to reach agreement, even on Arctic issues, is becoming increasingly unpredictable.”

The European controversy

On the sidelines of major global issues, however, a minor political dispute also broke out within the Union. Yesterday, 14 January, the Conference of Group Leaders in the European Parliament signed a text supporting Greenland’s sovereignty. However, the document was signed only by socialists, popular parties, Greens and liberals. Support from the ECR conservatives, the group of Fratelli d’Italia, was lacking. “We had proposed some amendments to the text to make it more constructive and not merely an angry attack on the United States. Unfortunately, they were not accepted by the left, so we had to refrain from co-signing it,” sources from the group told the ANSA news agency.