Belgium to deploy troops to Greenland in NATO Arctic mission

Belgium will deploy around 30 military personnel to Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, in early September as part of NATO’s newly established Arctic Sentry mission, Defence Minister Theo Francken told broadcaster VTM on Friday, August 7.

The contingent will include troops from the 1st Brigade based in Leopoldsburg as well as members of Belgium’s Special Forces, Francken said, according to Anadolu Agency.

The mission is aimed at reinforcing NATO’s presence across the Arctic, including areas around Greenland, Iceland and the Arctic Ocean, amid what the alliance describes as growing strategic interest in the region from Russia and China.

Belgian forces are expected to conduct deterrence and training operations, including the use of drones and the testing of counter-drone systems. Officials say Greenland’s vast and sparsely populated territory provides suitable conditions for such exercises.

Belgium will co-lead the operation alongside Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Sweden.

According to VTM, the deployment is also intended to send a “clear message” to US President Donald Trump that the alliance is “capable of ensuring the protection of the Arctic and the strategic island itself.”

The move follows renewed tensions over Greenland after Trump recently reiterated his desire for the United States to acquire the island, describing US control of Greenland as a historical and strategic necessity.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected those remarks, stating that Greenland “is not for sale” and that only the people of Greenland can determine the island’s future.

By Tamilla Hasanova