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Denmark ramps up defenses in Greenland as Trump zeros in on control of territory
By Emma Bussey
Published January 19, 2026
Denmark on Monday ramped up its military presence in Greenland, deploying extra troops to the strategic Arctic territory amid escalating tensions with President Donald Trump.
Local Danish broadcaster TV 2 said the Danish Armed Forces confirmed a new contingent of troops, described as "a substantial contribution," were arriving at Greenland’s main international airport Monday night.
Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen, head of Denmark’s Arctic Command, said about 100 Danish soldiers have already arrived in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, with others later deployed to Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland.
The new military move comes in the wake of comments made by Trump over the region's strategic and military importance.
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Denmark deploys additional troops to Greenland after President Donald Trump claims the island is not secure from Russia and China. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/via Reuters)
In a Truth Social post Jan. 18, Trump warned that Denmark had failed to secure Greenland against foreign threats.
"NATO has been telling Denmark, for 20 years, that ‘you have to get the Russian threat away from Greenland,’" Trump wrote.
"Unfortunately, Denmark has been unable to do anything about it. Now it is time, and it will be done!!!" he said.
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People wave Greenlandic flags during a mass demonstration opposing President Donald Trump’s proposal to acquire Greenland, in Nuuk, Greenland, on Jan. 17, 2026. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images; Alessandro Rampazzo/AFP via Getty Images)
On Monday, a text message exchange between Trump and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre over Greenland and the Nobel Peace Prize was released in a statement.
"Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway?" Trump said before adding that there were "no written documents; it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also," he said in part of the exchange.
"I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The world is not secure unless we have complete and total control of Greenland. Thank you! President DJT," he added.
Before now, according to Reuters, Andersen had said that Danish troop deployment was driven by broader security concerns, not by Trump’s statements.
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Danish troops practice looking for potential threats during a military drill in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, on Sept. 17, 2025. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen also said that Denmark has begun increasing its military footprint in and around Greenland in cooperation with its NATO allies and as part of efforts to strengthen Arctic defense, Reuters reported.
Danish forces already stationed in Greenland could remain for a year or more, with additional rotations planned in the coming years.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Jan. 15 the presence of European troops would not affect Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland.
"I don't think troops from Europe impact the president's decision-making process, nor does it impact his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all," she told reporters.
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The additional Danish troop deployment also came following Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would impose a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from countries that have supported Denmark and Greenland, including Norway.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/denmark-ramps-up-defenses-greenland-trump-zeros-control-territory