The Netherlands supports contribution to NATO mission in Greenland

Several members in Dutch parliament have supported plans for the Netherlands to contribute to a NATO mission in the Arctic region around Greenland. The government recently decided to also send one naval officer to Greenland to join a Danish reconnaissance exercise. 

Calls for the Netherlands to help with Greenland protection

Earlier this week, the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) debated a possible contribution to a NATO mission in Greenland. CDA member Derk Boswijk submitted a motion, supported by 11 other parties, calling on the cabinet to “politically and diplomatically support Denmark regarding the status and position of Greenland”.

Minister of Foreign Affairs David van Weel told the Tweede Kamer that the Netherlands can “contribute to a degree of detente in the relationship we consider so important, namely that between the United States and our European NATO allies”, reports AD. Exactly what the Netherlands’ contribution would look like is still uncertain.

Greenland has been in the international spotlight since US President Donald Trump said his country plans to take control of the island “the easy way” or “the hard way”. Trump says he is willing to use military force to conquer the semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. 

In a survey conducted by EenVaandag, 54 percent of respondents believe the Netherlands should intervene if Trump attempts to seize control of Greenland. 

NATO increases presence in Greenland

The Danish government has announced that it will increase its military presence on the island. Germany announced that it would send 13 soldiers to Nuuk. Alongside Germany, governments in France, Sweden and Norway will send soldiers to support a three-day Danish reconnaissance exercise, scheduled to last until Sunday.

"Soldiers of NATO are expected to be more present in Greenland from [Thursday] and in the coming days. It is expected that there will be more military flights and ships," Greenland’s deputy prime minister, Mute Egede, said at a press conference.

After discussions in the Netherlands about whether to participate in the Danish exercise as well, on Thursday afternoon, the cabinet decided to send one officer from the Royal Dutch Navy, but a larger NATO deployment later on has not been ruled out. Dutch Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans emphasised that this is not a military mission but to “map out options for a joint exercise in the Arctic region” for NATO, reports De Telegraaf.

Denmark, Greenland and US continue talks

Following a meeting with US vice president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio on Wednesday, Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said that talks had been “frank but constructive”.

“Our aim was to find a common understanding,” Rasmussen told journalists, but on the long-term security in Greenland, “here our perspectives continue to differ”. “The Kingdom of Denmark continues to believe that, also, the long-term security of Greenland can be ensured inside the current framework.”

Trump claims that US control of Greenland is the only way to ensure Russia and China do not threaten the resource-rich Arctic territories. Rasmussen admitted that there was an “element of truth” in increasing security in Arctic territories, but that Trump’s claims that there were “Chinese destroyers”, “Russian destroyers” and “Russian submarines all over the place” around Greenland, are not true.

Van Weel told BNR that the territorial integrity of Greenland and Denmark is not yet in jeopardy and remarked that it is positive that the countries are still involved in discussions. "If you're talking to each other, then at least you're being constructive and not destructive with things like taking someone's territory."