Multiple NATO countries are deploying troops to Greenland following failed negotiations among the United States, Denmark, and Greenland.
The move underscored rising tensions over security in the Arctic and President Donald Trump's renewed push for U.S. control of the strategically located island.
Sweden confirmed Wednesday that it is sending military personnel to Greenland at Denmark's request as part of a broader allied presence.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the deployment is tied to a Danish-led exercise.
"Several officers from the Swedish Armed Forces are arriving in Greenland today. They are part of a group from several allied countries," Kristersson said in a post on X. "Together, they will prepare for upcoming elements within the framework of the Danish exercise Operation Arctic Endurance.
"It is at Denmark's request that Sweden is sending personnel from the Armed Forces."
Germany's Defense Ministry also confirmed it will send 13 soldiers to Greenland, while France said it would contribute troops as well.
The deployments follow a high-level meeting in Washington between U.S., Danish, and Greenlandic officials that ended without agreement.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen rejected Trump's push to acquire Greenland, calling it unacceptable to both Denmark and Greenland.
Rasmussen said Denmark remains committed to cooperation with the United States and NATO on Arctic security but drew a firm line on sovereignty.
Trump's effort to "acquire" Greenland is "totally unacceptable," Rasmussen said, adding that while Denmark is "eager to work with the U.S." to ensure the island's long-term security, neither Danes nor Greenlanders want to be bought or conquered.
"The president has made his view clear, and we have a different position," he said.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Greenland is vital to U.S. national security, citing its strategic location and growing competition with Russia and China in the Arctic.
"The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building," Trump said Wednesday in a post on Truth Social.
He added that NATO "should be leading the way" toward U.S. control of the island, warning that "IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL."
Trump also argued that NATO's military effectiveness depends heavily on U.S. power and said the alliance would be "far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES," calling any alternative "unacceptable."
Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has become increasingly important as melting Arctic ice opens new shipping routes and access to rare earth minerals.
The idea of purchasing Greenland was first raised during Trump's first term, but Denmark and Greenland rejected the proposal, a stance that remains unchanged despite renewed U.S. pressure.
The presence of allied troops signals a European bid to shore up sovereignty and collective defense in the Arctic as tensions increase.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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