Von der Leyen Pledges EU Support While Germany Proposes Greenland Deployment
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European leaders and defense officials are weighing a stronger presence in Greenland amid mounting pressure from the United States, raising concerns about the Arctic territory’s security and sovereignty.
Patrick Sensburg, president of the German Armed Forces Reservists Association, called for European troops, including German forces, to be deployed to Greenland to prevent the United States from asserting control over the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
“We have to assume that U.S. President Donald Trump is serious about Greenland. Europe must therefore show a much stronger presence in Greenland,” Sensburg told German newspaper Bild on Tuesday. He proposed sending two European brigades under Danish command and said the deployment could also provide training opportunities for European soldiers. “This will strengthen European unity,” he said.
Sensburg’s remarks follow repeated statements by Trump claiming, without evidence, that Greenland is strategically threatened by Russian and Chinese ships and that the United States needs to secure the territory for national security reasons.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described the U.S. pressure as “unacceptable” and warned that “there are many indications that the most challenging part is ahead of us.”
Amid the tension, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that Greenlanders can rely on the European Union’s support. Speaking at a news conference in Brussels Wednesday, she highlighted the EU’s commitment to the Arctic region’s security and the autonomy of Greenland.
“We respect the wishes of the Greenlanders and their interests, and they can count on us,” von der Leyen said. “Greenland belongs to its people. We are in constant contact with the Danish government regarding the dossier. Secondly, Greenland is part of NATO, and we know that NATO integrates the diverse interests of its allies. It is important to me that Greenland knows that we respect the will of its inhabitants.”
