The Nordic nation sends troops to the Arctic Circle with a “significant contribution” amid conflict with Washington.
Denmark has sent additional troops to Greenland as US President Donald Trump threatens to seize control of the autonomous Danish territory.
The “huge contribution” of Royal Danish Army Commander Peter Boysen and his soldiers landed in Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland on Monday night, public broadcaster DR and other Danish media reported.
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Public broadcaster TV2 reported that 58 Danish troops have landed in the Arctic Circle, joining around 60 troops sent earlier to take part in an ongoing multinational military exercise called Operation Arctic Endurance.
The Danish Ministry of Defense and the Danish Armed Forces did not respond to requests for comment.
The deployment came hours after President Trump did not rule out using military force to seize control of the vast, mineral-rich Arctic region, which Washington says is critical to its national security.
In an interview with NBC News on Monday, President Trump answered “no comment” when asked if there was a possibility of seizing the island by force.
President Trump’s comments came after he told Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gare Stoler in a text message over the weekend that he no longer felt obligated to “think purely about peace” after losing out on this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
Denmark has expressed tolerance for an increased U.S. military presence in Greenland, but has repeatedly said the territory is not for sale and that any move to take over the island by force would mean the end of NATO.
President Trump’s insistence that Greenland must come under U.S. control has brought U.S.-European relations to their lowest deterioration in decades and raised concerns about the potential collapse of NATO, the 32-member transatlantic security alliance that includes both the U.S. and Denmark.
Under Article 5 of the NATO Charter, the alliance considers an armed attack against any member state to be an attack against all members.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt on Monday to discuss proposals to strengthen Arctic security, including the establishment of a joint NATO mission on Danish territory.
Prime Minister Rutte said in a statement that the two sides discussed the importance of the Arctic to “our collective security” and increased investment in Copenhagen’s defense forces.
“As allies, we will continue to work together on these important issues,” Prime Minister Rutte said.
After the meeting, Poulsen emphasized the need for unity.
“Thank you to our allies for standing up for Greenland and Denmark,” he said.
The EU’s “trade bazooka”
Trump’s move has strained security ties, while his threat to impose tariffs on Denmark and seven other European countries until a deal is reached to buy Greenland has raised the possibility of a full-blown transatlantic trade war.
The European Union is to convene an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss its response to the crisis, with options being considered including retaliatory tariffs and the activation of the bloc’s anti-coercion mechanism.
By triggering anti-coercion measures, also known as a “trade bazooka,” blockchain could impose sweeping restrictions on U.S. tech companies’ investments and operations within the single market.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she met with US diplomats on the sidelines of the Davos summit in Switzerland on Monday and stressed the “need for clear respect for the sovereignty” of Denmark and Greenland.
“This is of paramount importance for our transatlantic relationship,” von der Leyen said. “At the same time, the European Union stands ready to continue to work closely with the United States, NATO and other allies, in close cooperation with Denmark, to advance our common security interests.”
A poll conducted by Danish newspaper Berlingske last year suggested that 85% of Greenlanders do not want to join the United States, and only 6% support it.
