The UK and EU countries have begun discussing the deployment of NATO troops in Greenland
11 January 20:11
The UK, together with its European allies, has begun discussions on the possible deployment of NATO troops in Greenland.
According to The Telegraph, citing sources, the plans, which are at an early stage, may involve the deployment of British soldiers, ships, and aircraft to protect the island, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the publication, the negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of statements by US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly spoken about the need to establish American control over Greenland, citing threats from Russia and China. European countries hope that strengthening their military presence in the Arctic will convince Trump to abandon the idea of annexing this strategically important region.
As The Telegraph notes, in this case, the US president could present it as a victory for US taxpayers, saying that Europe is taking on most of the security costs in the Atlantic.
Sources in the British government told the newspaper that Prime Minister Keir Starmer takes the threats from Russia and China in the Arctic “extremely seriously” and agrees with the need to take action. “We share President Trump’s view that it is necessary to deter Russia’s growing aggression in the Far North and strengthen Euro-Atlantic security,” one of The Telegraph’s sources said.
The idea was discussed at a meeting of NATO allies in Brussels on January 8. The meeting participants instructed NATO’s European command to work out possible measures. The Telegraph reports that the operation could include both a full-scale deployment of troops and a combination of exercises, intelligence sharing, military buildup, and redistribution of defense spending.
Any mission would likely be conducted under NATO auspices and separately from existing operations in the Baltic states and Poland. British officials have confirmed that the country’s armed forces are preparing to expand their role in ensuring security in the Arctic.
At the same time, according to The Telegraph, the European Union is developing plans for sanctions against American companies (including Meta, Google, Microsoft, X, banks, and financial institutions) in case Trump rejects the proposal to deploy NATO forces. A more radical option could be to expel American troops from bases in Europe, which would deprive the US of key staging areas for operations in the Middle East and other regions.
Against this backdrop, The Mail on Sunday, citing sources, reports that Donald Trump has ordered the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) to prepare a plan for a possible invasion of Greenland, but is facing resistance from senior officials who consider such an operation illegal, noting that the initiative will not receive support.
