Danish soldiers walk across the frozen tarmac after arriving at Nuuk airport, Greenland, on January 19, 2026. The Danish Defense will continue the increased presence with exercise activities together with a number of NATO allies in and around Greenland in 2026.
Mads Claus Rasmussen | Afp | Getty Images
U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed the prospect of the European Union resisting his push to annex Greenland “too much,” shortly after Denmark sent additional troops to the Arctic island.
Speaking ahead of his trip to Davos for the World Economic Forum, Trump repeated his desire to take the self-governing Danish territory. The issue has ratcheted up trans-Atlantic tensions and rattled the NATO military alliance.
“I don’t think they are going to push back too much,” Trump told reporters in Florida on Monday evening, referring to EU opposition over Greenland. “Look, we have to have it,” he added.
The U.S. president, who has long coveted making Greenland a part of the U.S., reiterated his interest in the sparsely populated territory following an audacious military intervention in Venezuela on Jan. 3.
Trump has repeatedly said taking control of Greenland is vital for U.S. national security, frequently citing concerns about Russia and China’s Arctic influence.
The comments have raised alarm across Europe and prompted demonstrations in Copenhagen and Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, over the weekend.
Trump sought to raise the stakes even further on Saturday when he announced a rising wave of tariffs on eight European countries if they oppose his bid to acquire Greenland.
An extra levy of 10% will apply to the U.K., Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland from Feb. 1, Trump said, before rising to 25% from June 1.
European political leaders called the tariffs “unacceptable” and vowed to back Denmark, which is responsible for the island’s foreign, defense, and security policies.
The EU is also reportedly considering retaliatory measures against the Trump administration’s fresh import levies, including a so-called trade “bazooka” and broader economic countermeasures.
‘Arctic Endurance’ exercise
Denmark has sought to beef up its military presence in Greenland, according to local media reports.
A “substantial contribution” of Danish combat troops were expected to arrive in Greenland’s Kangerlussuaq on Monday evening, Danish broadcaster TV2 reported. Kangerlussuaq, in western Greenland, is home to the island’s major international transport hub.
Denmark’s top military commander in the Arctic, Major General Søren Andersen, reportedly said that 100 Danish soldiers had already arrived in Nuuk and a similar number in Kangerlussuaq. The troops are expected to take part in an a military exercise dubbed “Arctic Endurance.”
Danish soldiers disembark an airplane at Nuuk airport, Greenland, on January 19, 2026.
Mads Claus Rasmussen | Afp | Getty Images
The operation, which is centered on countering potential Russian activity, Reuters reported last week, rather than in response to the Trump administration, comes less than a week after several NATO allies deployed small numbers of troops to Greenland for a separate joint military exercise.
Danish government representatives are not expected to attend the World Economic Forum this week, a WEF spokesperson confirmed, as the dispute over Greenland intensifies.
Opinion polls have shown that Greenlanders overwhelmingly oppose U.S. control, while a strong majority support independence from Denmark.
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