Denmark moved to bolster its military presence in Greenland on Monday, dispatching additional troops to the vast Arctic nation as President Donald Trump refused to rule out using force to seize control.
Danish officials confirmed that a fresh contingent of soldiers was heading to Greenland as tensions flared following Trump’s latest warnings that Denmark had failed to protect the territory from foreign threats.
According to Danish broadcaster TV 2, the Danish Armed Forces described the new deployment as ‘a substantial contribution.’
Troops arrived late on Monday at Greenland’s main international airport and a second contingent was expected in western Greenland in the coming days.
Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, head of Denmark’s Arctic Command, said roughly 100 Danish soldiers have already arrived in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.
The move comes as Trump intensifies pressure on Denmark over Greenland’s future, framing the island as essential to US and NATO security – and accusing Copenhagen of negligence.
In a defiant post to his Truth Social account late on Monday night, Trump revealed he had spoken directly with NATO leadership and doubled down on his claim that US control of Greenland is non-negotiable.
Danish Armed Forces confirmed the arrival of additional troops to Greenland as part of what it described as a ‘substantial contribution’ to Arctic security
Danish soldiers disembark at the harbor in Nuuk, Greenland, on Sunday
Trump also revealed that his push on Greenland has prompted private concern from key European allies, sharing what appeared to be direct text message from French President Emmanuel Macron urging caution and diplomacy.
In the message, which Trump made public, Macron sought common ground on other global flashpoints while openly questioning Trump’s approach to Greenland.
‘From President Macron to President Trump My friend, We are totally in line on Syria. We can do great things on Iran I do not understand what you are doing on Greenland,’ Macron stated bluntly.
Macron then proposed an urgent diplomatic effort aimed at defusing tensions and broadening discussions beyond the Arctic dispute.
‘Let us try to build great things: i can set up a G7 meeting after Davos in Paris on Thursday afternoon,’ Macron suggested.
‘I can invite the Ukrainians, the Danish, the Syrians and the Russians in the margins let us have a dinner together in Paris together on Thursday before you go back to the US Emmanuel.’
The private message offered a rare glimpse into behind-the-scenes diplomacy – and the widening gap between Washington’s position and the concerns of its closest European allies.
The president posted AI generated photos of him, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio planting the American flag on Greenland soil.
Another AI generated image saw Trump in the Oval Office speaking to European leaders with a reimagined map of the US that showed Canada, Greenland and Venezuela under US control
Trump further escalated tensions Monday night with a defiant post on Truth Social
In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump warned that Denmark had failed for decades to secure Greenland against Russian influence
Alongside the message, the president posted AI generated photos of him, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio planting the American flag on Greenland soil.
While another AI generated image saw Trump in the Oval Office speaking to European leaders with a reimagined map of the US that showed Canada, Greenland and Venezuela to be under American control.
Earlier Trump posted how he had held a ‘very good telephone call’ with Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte, focused squarely on Greenland and its role in global security.
‘I agreed to a meeting of the various parties in Davos, Switzerland,’ Trump wrote, noting how said he made his position clear during the call.
‘As I expressed to everyone, very plainly, Greenland is imperative for National and World Security,’ he wrote. ‘There can be no going back – on that, everyone agrees!’
The president went on to frame US military dominance as the sole guarantor of global stability, crediting his first term with rebuilding American power.
‘The United States of America is the most powerful Country anywhere on the Globe, by far,’ Trump wrote. ‘Much of the reason for this is a rebuilding of our Military during my First Term, which rebuilding continues at even more expedited pace.’
A military vessel HDMS Knud Rasmussen of the Royal Danish Navy also docked in Nuuk, Greenland, over the weekend
About 100 Danish soldiers have already arrived in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, with more expected to deploy to western Greenland
Danish soldiers walk on a street after disembarking at the port in Nuuk, Greenland on Sunday
Trump concluded the post by asserting that American strength is synonymous with peace.
‘We are the only POWER that can ensure PEACE throughout the World — And it is done, quite simply, through STRENGTH!’
Just a day earlier on Sunday, Trump warned that Denmark had failed for decades to secure Greenland against Russian influence.
‘NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that ‘you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland,’ Trump wrote.
‘Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!’
The deployment also follows the release of a text message exchange between Trump and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, in which Trump questioned Denmark’s legal claim to Greenland and suggested US control was necessary for global security.
‘Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway?’ Trump wrote.
‘There are no written documents; it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also.’
Danish soldiers walk across the frozen tarmac after arriving at Nuuk airport, Greenland
Danish Army soldiers are seen at a shooting range in Greenland shortly after they arrived in Greenland as part of the Arctic Endurance exercise on Monday
The exercise teaches soldiers how to zero in their weapons and get their first lessons on how to handle their weapons in freezing temperatures, wind, and snow
Danish soldiers are seen disembarking at the port in Nuuk, Greenland
Trump went further, explicitly tying Greenland to NATO obligations and American leverage.
‘I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States,’ he wrote.
‘The world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT.’
Before the latest escalation, Andersen had said Denmark’s troop deployments were driven by long-term Arctic security concerns rather than Trump’s remarks.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen similarly said Copenhagen has been increasing its military footprint in and around Greenland in coordination with NATO allies to strengthen Arctic defense, according to Reuters.
Danish officials have indicated that forces already stationed in Greenland could remain for a year or longer, with additional rotations planned over the coming years.
When Trump was asked in a telephone interview on Monday if he would use military force to take Greenland if a deal could not be reached over the Danish territory, the president gave a simple response: ‘No comment.’
The situation has been further inflamed by Trump’s threat of economic retaliation.
The president recently announced a 10% import tax, set to take effect in February, on goods from countries supporting Denmark and Greenland and rise again to 25 percent in June, remaining in place until a deal is reached.
Trump suggested in a private text exchange on Sunday with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that his push to take Greenland is in retaliation for his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
He also suggested the tariffs were retaliation for European troop deployments though he also portrayed them as leverage in negotiations with Copenhagen.
European officials have pushed back, saying the troop presence was modest and aimed at responding to Trump’s own stated concerns about Russia and China in the Arctic.
A senior European military official told The Associated Press the deployments involved only a few dozen troops collectively, despite public perceptions that a large force was being sent.
The official said the move was intended to address security concerns, not provoke confrontation.
People take part in the ‘Hands Off Greenland’ protest in front of the US Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, chanting slogans such as Hands Off Greenland’
Young people with placards reading ‘Greenland is not for sale!’ take part in a demonstration that gathered almost a third of the city population to protest against the Trump’s plans to take Greenland
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, center, walks with Minister for Foreign Affairs and Research of Greenland Vivian Motzfeldt, left, and Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, right, prior to a meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels on Monday
Trump has refused to rule out using force to acquire Greenland and threatened tariffs against countries backing Denmark
Trump posted an image of himself to his Truth Social on Saturday, labelling himself ‘the tariff king’
Norway has also moved to prepare its civilian population for a potential conflict, issuing more than 13,500 formal notices warning residents that the military could sieze private property if war were to break out.
The warning letters, sent to homeowners on Monday, notify recipients that vehicles, boats, equipment, and other assets could be temporarily seized for defense purposes under emergency powers.
The notices are valid for 12 months and are intended to serve as advance legal notification rather than an immediate action.
Norwegian military officials said the step is designed to ensure the armed forces can rapidly mobilize critical resources during a national security crisis.
‘The requisitions are intended to ensure that, in a wartime situation, the armed forces have access to the resources necessary for the defence of the country,’ the military said in a statement, according to Euro News.
Anders Jernberg, head of Norway’s military logistics organization, warned that the country now faces its gravest security environment in decades.
‘Norway is in the most serious security policy situation since World War Two,’ Jernberg said. ‘Our society must be prepared for security policy crises and, in the worst case, war.’
‘We are undertaking a major build-up of military and civil preparedness,’ he added.
Danish officials said the deployment is tied to long-term Arctic defense planning and coordination with allies
Several European countries have also sent small numbers of troops to Greenland to assess regional security
The troop presence could remain in Greenland for a year or longer, with additional rotations planned
On Sunday, Trump escalated the pressure, threatening tariffs against eight European countries after they announced small troop deployments linked to Arctic security.
Greenland prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in an online post that Trump’s tariff threats would not change their stance.
‘We will not be pressured,’ he wrote.
On Monday, Trump said the US would again discuss acquiring Greenland at this week’s Davos World Economic Forum noting how in his view Denmark cannot protect the country.
‘We have to have it. They have to have this done. They can’t protect it, Denmark, they’re wonderful people,’ Trump told reporters in Florida.
‘I know the leaders, they’re very good people, but they don’t even go there.’
The rhetoric has reverberated through NATO. In a social media statement, Mark Rutte said he discussed Greenland’s importance for ‘collective security’ during a Monday meeting with the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland.
The European Union, meanwhile, signaled resistance to what it views as economic coercion.
European Council President António Costa said EU leaders expressed ‘readiness to defend ourselves against any form of coercion’ and announced an emergency summit scheduled for Thursday evening.
Despite the growing military and diplomatic response, the White House signaled that Denmark’s actions would not deter Trump’s ambitions.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that European troop deployments would not change the president’s calculations.
‘I don’t think troops from Europe impact the president’s decision-making process, nor does it impact his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all,’ she told reporters.
