NATO member states have held informal talks on deploying troops to Greenland after threats by US President Donald Trump to seize the Danish territory, the Telegraph reported, citing diplomats familiar with the discussions.
Germany and other European allies have discussed possible responses, including whether NATO's mutual defense clause under Article 5 could be used in the event of a US invasion. However, this option was quickly rejected, as it would require unanimous support from all 32 NATO member states, including the United States.
Furthermore, some of Ukraine’s strongest supporters in NATO have criticized Germany for Olaf Scholz’s refusal to deploy troops to Ukraine. A NATO diplomat said that Berlin “doesn’t want to send troops to Ukraine because the situation is “too ambiguous,” but is openly flying kites about sending NATO troops to Greenland.”
Trump called Denmark’s refusal to cede Greenland “a hostile act,” as the strategic value of the Arctic grows amid competition with Russia and China.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that acquiring Greenland is in the US national interest. Trump does not rule out military force to get the island.
Greenland has about 57,000 residents who govern their own internal affairs. Denmark is responsible for the island's defense and security and says only Greenlanders can decide its future. The United States operates an air base there under contract.
Opinion polls show that most Greenlanders support freer relations with Denmark but oppose the territory becoming part of the United States.
Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede, who has stepped up his push for independence from Denmark, has also repeatedly said that the island is not for sale and that its people should decide their own fate.