In response to potential U.S. annexation threats, NATO members including Germany, France, Sweden, and Norway are sending military personnel to Greenland to take part in joint exercises with Danish forces. The move is widely seen as a test of NATO’s core principles.

Europe Moves Toward Joint Military Exercises

Denmark’s Ministry of Defense announced that it would expand its military presence in Greenland “in close cooperation with NATO allies.” Shortly afterward, Germany, Sweden, France, and Norway confirmed they would send troops to Greenland this week. The personnel will participate in joint training and reconnaissance activities alongside Danish forces.

Germany’s Defense Ministry stated that a 13-member military reconnaissance team arrived in Greenland on Thursday as part of a “multinational exploration and preparation mission.”

Preparations for Operation Arctic Endurance

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced that Swedish officers were deployed to Greenland at Denmark’s request and would take part in preparations for a large-scale exercise known as Operation Arctic Endurance. French President Emmanuel Macron also confirmed France’s participation, stating that the first French military units were already en route, with additional forces to follow.

Norway’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that two defense personnel would also be sent to Greenland.

An Unprecedented Crisis Within NATO

NATO’s founding principle—that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all—has come under serious strain due to U.S. threats toward Greenland. As part of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland falls under NATO’s collective defense umbrella, making the prospect of one NATO member threatening another’s territory extraordinarily alarming.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described a potential U.S. attack as “completely hypothetical,” but warned that such a scenario could effectively bring NATO to an end. “It is highly unlikely that a NATO country would attack another NATO country,” he said.

The United States’ Existing Presence in Greenland

The United States already maintains around 150 troops at the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland. While NATO allies have long discussed increasing joint exercises in the Arctic region, the timing and symbolism of Europe’s latest deployments are particularly significant.

Diplomatic Measures Also Underway

Beyond military steps, Canada and France have announced plans to open consulates in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, in the coming weeks. The move underscores growing international sensitivity over Greenland’s strategic status.

Recent developments are widely viewed as one of the most serious internal challenges NATO has faced since the end of the Cold War.