Germany withdraws troops from Greenland after Trump threatens to impose tariffs
18 January 20:01
A group of 15 Bundeswehr soldiers left Greenland the day after US President Donald Trump announced his intention to impose tariffs on countries that oppose the annexation of the island and participated in the Danish exercises. The German Ministry of Defense called the withdrawal of the contingent planned, noting that the mission took place from January 15 to 17, and an additional trip to Greenland was scheduled for the 18th, but it was canceled due to unfavorable weather conditions.
The ministry described the visit to the island as successful. Lieutenant Colonel Peter Melevchik said that cooperation with the Danish military was “as constructive as possible.”
According to Bild’s calculations, the Bundeswehr mission, led by Rear Admiral Stefan Pauli, lasted 44 hours. According to the publication, the order to return the servicemen came from Germany on Sunday morning. All scheduled meetings and events were urgently canceled.
Earlier, Trump announced his intention to annex Greenland to the US for national security reasons, citing the need to neutralize threats from Russia and China. After that, Denmark, whose autonomous territory includes the island, initiated the Arctic Resilience military exercises and invited its NATO allies to participate. In response, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, France, and Sweden sent their military personnel to Greenland.
On January 17, Trump announced the introduction of a 10% tariff against these countries and Denmark, effective February 1. He promised to increase the tariffs to 25% in June, warning that they would remain in place “until an agreement is reached on the complete and final purchase of Greenland.” Currently, goods from the EU are subject to a 15% tariff, and goods from the UK are subject to a 10% tariff.
On January 18, the eight countries listed by Trump issued a joint statement. They expressed their full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland and outlined their willingness to continue dialogue with the US based on respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. In addition, European countries stressed that tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and create the risk of a “dangerous escalation.”
On January 17, mass protests were held in Denmark under the slogan “Hands off Greenland” due to Trump’s claims on the island. Thousands of people demonstrated in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense, and the capital of the autonomous region, Nuuk. Participants chanted “Hands Off Greenland” and wore red caps with the slogan “Make America Go Away.”
