European troop deployment in Greenland will have no impact on US President Donald Trump's plans to take control of the Arctic island from Denmark, the White House said on Thursday. "I don't think troops in Europe impact the president's decision-making process, nor does it impact his goal of the acquisition of Greenland at all," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said when asked about the deployment. Her comments come on the same day that European military personnel began arriving in Greenland, hours after a meeting between US, Danish and Greenlandic officials in Washington failed to resolve what Denmark's foreign minister called "fundamental disagreement" over the mineral-rich Arctic island. France, Sweden, Germany and Norway announced on Wednesday that they would deploy military personnel as part of a reconnaissance mission to Greenland's capital Nuuk. Meanwhile, Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds on Friday sought to play down concerns about potential tensions within NATO following threats by the US it could use military force to annex Greenland. Appearing on Euronews' morning show Europe Today, Sprūds askedto "not over-dramatize" the situation, noting that NATO has long managed internal disagreements without undermining collective defense. "We are in the process of discussing, especially the dialogue between the United States and Denmark. We see also in NATO sometimes there are some dialogues or discussions among countries," Sprūds said, citing previous tensions between Greece and Turkey. "Everybody understands the importance of collective defence. Everybody understands importance of NATO as a strong alliance, and this is mutually beneficial for both — for the United States and for Europe," he added. Sprūds said Latvia stands ready to join other European countries including France, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK in sending troops to Greenland as part of the Arctic Endurance exercise if requested. "Collective security in the High North is very important," he said. "But at the same time, it is important of course to once more underline that Greenland is an integral part of Danish Kingdom." The European Commission meanwhile confirmed to Euronews on Thursday that Denmark would be able to invoke the EU's mutual assistance clause in the event of an armed attack against Greenland, even though the semi-autonomous island is not part of the bloc. Germany's defence ministry said on Thursday that the reconnaissance mission to Greenland by several European NATO members aims "to explore options for ensuring security in light of Russian and Chinese threats in the Arctic." A 13-strong Bundeswehr reconnaissance team would deploy to Nuuk from Thursday to Sunday at Denmark's invitation, the ministry said. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday France would soon send more "land, air, and sea" forces to join the military exercise in Greenland. "A first team of French service members is already on site and will be reinforced in the coming days with land, air, and maritime assets," Macron told troops during a speech to start the new year. The Netherlands and Estonia announced they would join the exercise, which Dutch Foreign Minister Ruben Brekelmans described as a signal that security matters in Greenland and the region are "of strategic importance to all NATO allies." Estonia was also "ready to put boots on the ground if requested," Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a post on X. The deployment was announced the same day the foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland met with US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, speaking after leaving the White House, said a US takeover of Greenland was "absolutely not necessary." "We didn't manage to change the American position. It's clear the president has this wish of conquering Greenland," Løkke told reporters. "We therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree." US President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to take control of the autonomous Danish territory, arguing it is vital for US security. He reiterated that Denmark was powerless if Russia or China sought to occupy Greenland, but added, "There's everything we can do." Trump has appeared emboldened on Greenland after ordering a surprise 3 January attack in Venezuela that removed Nicolás Maduro. — Agencies
