A small French military contingent has arrived in Greenland's capital Nuuk, officials say, as several European states deploy small numbers in a so-called reconnaissance mission.
The limited deployment, which also involves Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK, comes as US President Donald Trump continues to press his claim to the Arctic island, which is a semi-autonomous part of Denmark.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the initial contingent would be reinforced soon with 'land, air, and sea assets'.
Senior diplomat Olivier Poivre d'Arvor saw the mission as sending a strong political signal: 'This is a first exercise... we'll show the US that NATO is present.'
Poivre d'Arvor said the initial French deployment involved 15 people, hours after Denmark and Greenland's foreign ministers travelled to Washington for a meeting with US Vice-President JD Vance on Wednesday.
Following the meeting, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said while the talks were constructive, there remained a 'fundamental disagreement' between the two sides and later criticised Trump's bid to buy Greenland.
Trump, meanwhile, doubled down on his bid to bring Greenland under US control, telling reporters in the Oval Office, 'we need Greenland for national security'. Although he did not rule out the use of force, he said late on Wednesday that he thought something could be worked out with Denmark.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the deployment of additional European troops to Greenland would not affect the president's decision-making process regarding the territory.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that any US military intervention in Greenland would be a political disaster and could escalate tensions among NATO allies.
Russia's embassy in Belgium expressed 'serious concern' at NATO's military buildup in the Arctic, accusing the alliance of using a false pretext regarding threats from Moscow and Beijing.
The European NATO deployment consists solely of a few dozen personnel conducting Danish-led joint exercises called Operation Arctic Endurance. The duration of their stay remains unclear.
Germany was sending an A400M transport plane to Nuuk with a contingent of 13 soldiers, although it would remain until only Saturday.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen mentioned plans for a rotational military presence to enhance alliances within Greenland.
Macron highlighted Europe's unique responsibility towards Greenland, reinforcing its status as a NATO ally.
The US maintains a military base in Greenland, currently accommodating around 150 personnel, but the Danish-led initiative aims to assert that European allies share security responsibilities in the Arctic region.
