A Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules is parked on the tarmak at Nuuk international airport on January 15, 2026 in Nuuk, Greenland, the day after it arrived transporting Danish military personnel.
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Several NATO members are deploying small numbers of troops to Greenland for a joint military exercise, in the wake of tense talks with the White House about the U.S. desire to annex it.
Denmark, which is responsible for Greenland’s defense, Germany, France, Sweden and Norway have all confirmed plans to send military personnel to the sparsely populated island this week.
U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed his sights on taking the island following an audacious military intervention in Venezuela to depose its president Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3.
The troop deployment comes shortly after the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland held talks with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House.
Speaking to reporters alongside Greenland’s Vivian Motzfeldt, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said there had been a “fundamental disagreement” with the U.S., but said the hour-long meeting was “frank but constructive.”
Vance and Rubio did not immediately comment after the meeting. Trump, however, told reporters in the Oval Office: “We need Greenland for national security.”
The U.S., Denmark and Greenland agreed to establish a high-level working group to discuss the future of the island, although, as had been widely expected, the three countries were unable to find a diplomatic resolution to defuse tensions.
(L/R) Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt speak during a news conference at the Danish Embassy in Washington, DC, on January 14, 2026.
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Before the meeting, Denmark announced plans on Wednesday to beef up its military presence in and around Greenland, saying the exercise activities could include guarding national infrastructure, deploying fighter aircraft and conducting naval operations.
Germany’s Defense Ministry said it would deploy a “reconnaissance team” of 13 personnel to Nuuk, Greenland, at the invitation of Denmark.
The mission, which will take place Thursday through Saturday, is designed to explore the framework for possible military contributions to ensure security in the region, Germany’s Defense Ministry said, including maritime surveillance capabilities.
‘Operation Arctic Endurance’
French President Emmanuel Macron said in a social media post that France will also participate in the joint exercises organized by Denmark in Greenland, referring to it as “Operation Arctic Endurance.”
“The first French military elements are already on their way. Others will follow,” Macron said Wednesday on X, according to a Google translation.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said several officers from Sweden’s armed forces were scheduled to arrive in Greenland from Wednesday.
“They are part of a group from several allied countries. Together, they will prepare for upcoming elements within the framework of the Danish exercise Operation Arctic Endurance,” Kristersson via X, according to a translation.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who has previously warned that a U.S. attack on Greenland would mark the end of NATO, thanked Rasmussen and Greenland’s Motzfeldt for countering the American claims at the talks.
“It was not an easy meeting,” Frederiksen said in a Facebook post on Thursday, according to a translation.
Greenland residents and political leaders have publicly rejected suggestions by U.S. President Donald Trump that the Arctic island could become part of the United States.
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“A working group is now being established to discuss how security in the Arctic can be strengthened. However, that does not change the fact that there is a fundamental disagreement because the American ambition to take over Greenland is intact,” Frederiksen said.
The Danish prime minister also mentioned that a number of NATO allies were currently contributing to joint exercise activities in and around Greenland. “The defense and protection of Greenland is a common concern for the entire NATO alliance,” she added.
Denmark: ‘We have been stepping up’
Opinion polls have shown that Greenlanders overwhelmingly oppose U.S. control, while a strong majority support independence from Denmark.
Denmark has pledged to boost health-care spending and infrastructure investments in recent months, while also seeking to defuse tensions with the Trump administration by investing in Arctic defense, including the purchase of 16 additional F-35 fighter jets.
“We have been stepping up. We have allocated almost $15 billion within just the last couple of years to capabilities in the High North. We have been pushing within the Arctic NATO states for bigger NATO engagement,” Rasmussen said on Wednesday.
“We didn’t manage to change the American position. It’s clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland,” he continued.
“We made it very, very clear that this is not in the interest of the kingdom.”