Germany will send a small group of soldiers to Greenland as part of a joint Arctic mission involving several NATO member states, German officials announced Wednesday.
According to the German government and defense ministry, 13 German soldiers will arrive in Greenland on Thursday for a reconnaissance mission requested by Denmark.
The deployment is scheduled to run from Thursday through Saturday and will focus on assessing how European nations could contribute to strengthening security in the region.
In a statement Germany’s defense ministry said the mission will explore possible military roles including areas such as maritime surveillance.
The deployment follows will repeated comments in recent weeks from Donald Trump, who has said Greenland is critical to United States security interests.
Trump has argued that US control of the island is necessary to prevent potential influence from Russia or China.
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark and is rich in natural resources, including minerals, while also holding strategic value in the Arctic.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sweden and Norway also announced plans to send military personnel to Greenland, signaling a coordinated European response.
