Germany to deploy reconnaissance team to Greenland

Germany will deploy an initial reconnaissance team of Bundeswehr personnel to Greenland this week as part of a European effort to strengthen security in the Arctic, the German Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

At Denmark’s invitation, Germany will participate in a joint reconnaissance mission from 15 to 17 January 2026, alongside several other European nations. The Bundeswehr will send a 13-member team to Nuuk on January 15 aboard an Airbus A400M transport aircraft, Caliber.Az reports via German media.

The mission aims to assess conditions for potential military contributions, including maritime surveillance capabilities, to support Denmark’s security responsibilities in the region.

Denmark announced earlier this week that it would significantly increase its military presence in Greenland, with other European NATO members expected to follow. While the deployment involves European NATO countries, the operation is being coordinated from Copenhagen rather than through NATO command structures, and will proceed without direct U.S. involvement.

German officials indicated that the navy and air force are among the services under consideration for future contributions. Greenland has previously been discussed as a possible deployment location for Germany’s new P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

Sweden has also begun deploying personnel to Greenland, with officers arriving to prepare the Danish-led exercise Operation Arctic Endurance. Other allied European states are expected to take part.

“Some officers from the Swedish Armed Forces are arriving in Greenland today. They are part of a group from several allied countries. Together, they will prepare upcoming phases within the framework of the Danish exercise Operation Arctic Endurance. At Denmark’s request, Sweden is deploying personnel from the Swedish Armed Forces,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson wrote on X.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has previously argued that NATO should play a stronger role in safeguarding Greenland and the wider Arctic region from growing Russian and Chinese activity. European moves to expand their presence in Greenland are also seen as a signal in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated statements about Greenland’s strategic importance.

Meanwhile, Europe is sending its first warning signal to Trump: Denmark has announced plans to expand its military presence in Greenland, while France intends to open a consulate there.

The European moves come against the backdrop of continuing diplomatic tensions with Washington. Following a meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump’s team on January 14, the Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers said talks were polite and constructive, but acknowledged that they had failed to persuade the U.S. administration to abandon its demand to annexe Greenland.

The ministers stressed that a fundamental disagreement remained, underlining that Greenland’s territorial integrity constituted a clear red line.

Asked about Trump’s criticism of Denmark’s plans to strengthen Greenland’s defences — which the U.S. president dismissed as equivalent to “adding another dog sleigh” — Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said he shared some of Trump’s concerns about the changing security environment in the Arctic. However, he noted that it was the United States that had reduced its military presence in Greenland since the Cold War.

By Vugar Khalilov