Germany weighs military intervention in Greenland as Arctic strategic interests grow

Germany and its armed forces, the Bundeswehr, are prepared for a potential military mission in Greenland, a region known for its Arctic climate said official spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence, Natalie Jenning.

"We don't want to engage in speculation. However, what I can confirm in this context is that, as the Bundeswehr, we have the appropriate capabilities that could certainly be utilized in this Arctic region," Jenning remarked, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

However, Jenning declined to comment on US President Donald Trump's statements regarding plans to annex the island, which is currently under Danish control.

To recall, Greenland’s parliament has passed a bill aimed at safeguarding the political integrity of the vast Arctic island. The new legislation, passed on February 4, prohibits political parties from receiving donations from foreign or anonymous sources. The move follows heightened geopolitical tensions after US President Donald Trump expressed an interest in the United States taking control of Greenland, a territory of Denmark.

The bill, which will take effect immediately, is seen as a preventative measure in response to the current international situation, where the United States and other powers have shown interest in Greenland due to its strategic location and mineral wealth. In particular, President Trump’s comments, which included a suggestion that military force could be used to seize control of the island, have raised concerns.

In 2019, Trump publicly discussed the possibility of acquiring Greenland, calling it vital for U.S. national security. His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., also visited the island last month, assuring Greenlanders that they would be well-treated. This followed years of military cooperation between Denmark and the US, particularly due to a large US military base in Greenland.

Kent Fridberg, a senior legal officer in Greenland’s parliament, clarified that the bill is largely a preventative measure, noting that it remains unclear whether any foreign donations had previously been made to political parties in Greenland. He further pointed out that some Russian officials had expressed similar interests on the island.

The new legislation also sets limits on domestic private donations, with no party allowed to receive more than 200,000 Danish kroner (around $27,700) in total, or 20,000 kroner (about $2,770) from any single contributor. Political parties in Greenland are typically funded through public means, and the bill seeks to ensure that political influence remains untainted by foreign or excessively large domestic donations.

Greenland, with an area of 2.17 million square kilometres and a population of about 57,000, is geographically significant and holds vast natural resources.

By Aghakazim Guliyev