Germany deploys military team to Greenland amid US annexation tensions
Germany is sending a military reconnaissance team to Greenland to assess how it can support Denmark's security in the Arctic region. The mission follows high-level diplomatic talks where Copenhagen failed to shift the US position on acquiring the autonomous territory.
Germany is deploying a military reconnaissance team to Greenland this week, a move that underscores European efforts to bolster Arctic security and reinforce sovereignty amid persistent US threats to acquire the territory. The German Defense Ministry announced that a 13-soldier team will arrive in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, aboard an Air Force A400M transport aircraft on Thursday.
A Mission to Bolster European Support
The stated objective of the multinational mission, conducted at the invitation of Denmark, is to "explore the framework conditions for possible military contributions to support Denmark." This could include enhancing capabilities for maritime surveillance in the strategic region. The deployment includes personnel from other unnamed European partner nations, signaling a coordinated European response to growing geopolitical competition in the High North.
Direct Response to US Pressure
The military assessment follows unresolved tensions between Washington and its European allies over Greenland's future. The mission was announced on the same day that Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen reported on his meetings at the White House. Rasmussen stated they "didn't manage to change [the] American position" on Greenland, reiterating that US ideas which fail to respect the "territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, of course, totally unacceptable."
A Transatlantic Dispute Over Sovereignty
The reconnaissance mission is a tangible step by European NATO members to demonstrate support for a fellow ally, Denmark, against pressure from the United States, the alliance's leading power. US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently met with Rasmussen and Greenland's Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, but the fundamental disagreement persists. By preparing to contribute directly to Greenland's defense, Germany and other European states are sending a clear message about the inviolability of allied sovereignty within the existing international order.
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