Kathmandu. Amid the threat of a U.S. takeover of Greenland, Europe’s “military solidarity” against U.S. President Donald Trump has turned into something of a joke. In the name of protecting Greenland, the United Kingdom has sent only one soldier, while approximately 40 soldiers from seven European countries have arrived in the capital, Nuuk.
According to reports, NATO countries including Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the UK have jointly launched a military operation called Operation Arctic Endurance. These soldiers are part of this mission.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto questioned the entire military exercise, calling it a mockery. Denmark had already deployed 200 soldiers to Greenland. Additionally, the 14-member Sirius Dog Sled Patrol is present there, patrolling the Arctic regions.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that they would be further strengthened by land, air, and sea in the coming days. “The number is small, but it is a political message that NATO is united,” he said. Operation Arctic Endurance is a military exercise currently being coordinated with Denmark. Its purpose is to see what kind of preparations would be required if a large number of troops needed to be deployed to Greenland in the future. According to the Danish Ministry of Defense, the focus of this exercise is to increase cooperation and operational capability among allied nations in the Arctic region.
In the future, a much larger mission called Operation Arctic Sentry is planned. This will be a formal NATO mission intended to increase surveillance in and around Greenland and strengthen the military response to any threats.
However, this mission will not start immediately. According to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, it could take several months for Operation Arctic Sentry to launch. This means that no major new military mission has started in Greenland yet; rather, preparations and planning are underway.
Some of NATO’s major military powers have stayed away from this mission. Poland, Italy, and Turkey have refused to send troops to Greenland. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk clearly stated that his country would not be sending forces.
Poland’s biggest concern is its eastern border with Russia, where it wishes to concentrate its military strength. There is currently no collective NATO directive regarding the deployment of troops to Greenland; each country is making decisions based on its own security priorities and resources.
Greenland does not have its own military. As an autonomous territory of Denmark, Denmark is responsible for its defense and foreign policy. Greenland has a population of only 57,000.
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