The deployment of European troops to Greenland will not dissuade President Donald Trump from pursuing U.S. control of the strategically vital Arctic territory, the White House has warned.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed suggestions that European military movements would alter the president’s calculus.
“I don’t think troops in Europe impacts the president’s decision-making process or impacts his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all,” Leavitt told reporters when asked whether the arrival of European forces would affect Trump’s approach to the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
European Show of Force Fails to Shift U.S. Position
Several European countries, including France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and the Netherlands, announced they would send small numbers of troops to Greenland as part of a Danish military exercise, with some forces already on the ground.
President Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland’s location makes it critical to U.S. national security, warning that the island could otherwise fall under the influence of Russia or China, creating a strategic vulnerability on America’s northern flank.
The territory is also rich in oil, gas, and rare earth minerals, resources the Trump administration has emphasized as essential to reducing U.S. dependence on China.
Greenland’s government has said the territory is “not for sale,” insisting that its future must be determined by Greenlanders, who are largely of Inuit descent, along with Denmark.
While Greenland has not been a colony since 1953 and has enjoyed home rule since 1979, it has remained under Danish control for more than six centuries.
Denmark and Europe Push Back
After a White House meeting on Wednesday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Denmark’s foreign minister acknowledged that Copenhagen and Washington “still have a fundamental disagreement,” even as both sides announced a working group focused on enhancing Greenland’s security.
On Thursday, Emmanuel Macron escalated Europe’s response, announcing plans to deploy French land, air, and naval assets to Greenland in the coming days.
“France and Europeans must continue, wherever their interests are threatened, to be present without escalation, but uncompromising on respect for territorial sovereignty,” Macron said.
NATO is not formally involved in the exercise, which has been described as an intergovernmental mission to assess how to bolster Greenland’s security.
Still, European officials have made clear the deployments are intended to signal unity and argue that a U.S. takeover is unnecessary.
Trump Reiterates National Security Case
President Trump has accused Denmark of failing to adequately secure Greenland against potential foreign threats.
On the day of the White House meeting, he reiterated his position on Truth Social.
“The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it,” Trump wrote.
He again warned that the island is at risk of falling into Russian or Chinese hands, adding that NATO would be “far more formidable and effective” if Greenland were overseen by the United States.
Arctic Tensions With Russia and China
A Danish intelligence report released in December 2025 underscored the strategic stakes, noting that the United States has increased its focus on the Arctic as Russia continues its military buildup and China expands its naval capabilities in the region.
“Russia remains the strongest military power in the Arctic,” the report said, adding that Moscow is likely to deepen cooperation with Beijing and grant China greater access to the Russian Arctic.
Russia has rejected Western warnings, with its embassy in Belgium claiming that concerns about Moscow and Beijing threatening Greenland are designed to advance an “anti-Russian and anti-Chinese agenda.”
Allies Split on Escalation
So far, European troop deployments remain limited.
The United Kingdom has sent just one military officer to Greenland at Denmark’s request.
“We share President Trump’s concern about the security of the High North,” a British spokesperson said, framing the move as part of broader efforts to deter Russian and Chinese activity through NATO and allied partnerships such as the Joint Expeditionary Force.
Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the upcoming exercise, dubbed Arctic Endurance, would involve multiple allies and aim to strengthen regional cooperation, warning that “no one can predict what will happen tomorrow.”
Not all NATO members are participating.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland would not send troops, warning that conflict between NATO members would be catastrophic.
“An attempt to take over (part of) a NATO member state by another NATO member state would be a political disaster,” Tusk said, calling such a scenario “the end of the world as we know it.”
White House Seeks Deal, Not Force
Despite the rhetoric and troop movements, the White House has emphasized that Washington is pursuing a negotiated solution.
Senior officials, including Mike Johnson (R-LA), have rejected the idea of a U.S. military seizure of Greenland.
Trump’s special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, said he plans to visit the territory in March and remains confident an agreement can be reached.
“I do believe that there’s a deal that should and will be made once this plays out,” Landry told Fox News.
“The president is serious.
“I think he’s laid the markers down.
“He’s told Denmark what he’s looking for.”
The administration has made clear that European troop deployments will not change President Trump’s view that securing Greenland is essential to America’s long-term national security.
READ MORE – Trump Warns U.S Must Take Greenland: ‘If We Don’t Do It, Russia or China Will’
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