01/17/2026, 06:4501/17/2026, 06:51
In view of the conflict over US ownership of Greenland, the Bundeswehr team begins a European exploration mission on the Arctic island. The 15 German soldiers and other military personnel from other European countries arrived on the world’s largest island on Friday evening. Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned against underestimating the USA and called for a clear reaction from NATO and the EU to the US claims. US President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries that oppose his plan.
A Danish soldier.Image: keystone
In the afternoon, demonstrations against US claims are expected in several cities in Greenland.
Europeans want to increase security on Arctic island
The largely autonomous Greenland is part of the territory of Denmark. Trump has repeatedly made it clear that the USA wants to take over the island, which is largely covered by ice – which most European NATO partners vehemently reject. Crisis talks between the USA, Denmark and Greenland recently failed to bring any rapprochement. Trump argues that Greenland must belong to the USA so that the Russians and Chinese do not gain additional influence in the region.
Germany and other European NATO members now want to ensure more security on the huge Arctic island. Norway, Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, France and the Netherlands, among others, are sending teams.
According to the Defense Ministry in Berlin, the soldiers are supposed to check conditions for joint military exercises. The question is whether the Arctic is safe and to what extent Germany and its NATO partners can contribute to this, said the spokesman for the Ministry of Defense in Berlin. The German team – 15 men and women – consists of logisticians and experts from different areas.
The fact-finding mission is led by Denmark. The Bundeswehr team first flew to Karup in Denmark on Thursday and arrived in Greenland on Friday.
Stoltenberg doesn’t want to speculate about Trump’s reasons
Ex-NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg said in an interview with “Spiegel”: “We have to take seriously the fact that the United States has declared that it wants to take control of Greenland.” He rejected speculation about Trump’s possible motives for wanting to annex the island. “I note what Trump and other US officials say: they cite security interests of the United States, and sometimes they talk about natural resources,” said the Norwegian finance minister. “I can only point out that and don’t want to speculate what other potential reasons could be.”
The NATO defense alliance and the EU must now respond clearly to the US President’s threats. “I welcome the fact that there were clear joint statements – from the Nordic states, from Germany, from other European states – that Greenland belongs to Denmark and that they stand behind Denmark,” said Stoltenberg. One should not speculate about possible consequences. “The most important thing now is to prevent further measures.”
Italy not part of the mission
Italy, a founding NATO member, does not want to send soldiers to the exploratory mission with other European partner states. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called this a “joke”.
At the same time, the right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni presented its own Arctic strategy. Meloni had made it clear in the past that she did not support military action by the USA and that such action was in no one’s interest. Meloni is considered a sympathizer of US President Donald Trump and one of his most important allies in Europe.
Meanwhile, Trump threatened tariffs on countries that oppose his claim to Greenland. He may impose tariffs on such countries because the US needs Greenland for its national security, Trump said at the White House in Washington. At first he wasn’t more specific. He had previously spoken about how, in other contexts, he had threatened European countries such as Germany and France with tariffs to advance his interests. (sda/dpa)