Washaington DC: After U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Greenland is essential to America’s national security, European NATO member states have deployed a limited military presence to Greenland. According to the BBC, small military contingents from France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have arrived in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, under Denmark’s leadership as part of “Operation Arctic Endurance.” France has initially sent 15 soldiers, while Germany has dispatched 13 soldiers along with an A400M aircraft.

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that additional military forces, including land, air, and naval assets, will be deployed soon. Senior French diplomat Olivier Poivre d’Arvor described the move as a “first exercise to send a political message,” saying it is intended to demonstrate NATO’s presence in Greenland.

Meanwhile, although the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance in Washington, Denmark has said that “fundamental disagreements” remain between the two sides. President Trump has reiterated that Greenland is indispensable for the United States and has hinted that he does not rule out the use of force if necessary.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that any U.S. military intervention in Greenland would be a “political catastrophe” for NATO. At the same time, Russia has expressed serious concern over NATO’s increased military presence in the Arctic region.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has made it clear that ownership or governance of Greenland by the United States is unacceptable. Although the number of troops deployed is small, the move is seen as a reflection of NATO’s growing strategic interest in the Arctic and a clear message from European countries to the Trump administration.