The Telegraph: Starmer may send troops to Greenland to 'calm' Trump

The British government is negotiating with European allies to deploy military forces in Greenland to ease the fears of the US president Donald Trump on the security of the Arctic island. This was reported by the newspaper The Telegraph.

Military leaders are developing plans for a possible NATO mission on the island, which the US president has threatened to seize for security reasons.

In recent days, British officials have been meeting with their German and French counterparts to begin preparations. The plans, which are still at an early stage, could include the deployment of British soldiers, warships and aircraft to defend Greenland from Russia and China.

European countries hope that a significant increase in their presence in the Arctic will convince Trump to abandon his ambitions to annex the strategically important island. This will allow him to claim a victory for American taxpayers by arguing that Europe pays most of the costs of protecting the Atlantic.

Trump has expressed fears that Moscow or Beijing will seize the island if he does not, insisting that "we will not have Russia or China as our neighbors."

Greenland is also rich in natural resources, including copper, nickel, and rare earth minerals, which are crucial to powering modern technology. Interlocutors in the British government said that the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took the threat posed by Russia and China in the area "extremely seriously" and agreed that action was needed.

"We share President Trump's view that Russia's growing aggression in the Far North must be contained and Euro-Atlantic security strengthened," said one of the interlocutors.

He added that NATO's discussions on strengthening security in the region are ongoing, and the UK is working with NATO allies to encourage efforts to strengthen Arctic deterrence and defense.

"The UK will continue to work with allies – as we always have – on operations in our national interest, protecting people at home," the source emphasized.

European countries hope to calm Trump down by offering to deploy military forces to the island. This idea was discussed at a meeting of NATO allies in Brussels on Thursday.

NATO allies have tasked the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, the alliance's military headquarters in Belgium, with determining what more can be done to secure the Arctic. The sources told The Telegraph that the potential operation is in the early stages of planning.

This could be a full-scale deployment of troops or a combination of time-limited exercises, intelligence sharing, capacity building, and redirection of defense spending. Any operation would likely be conducted under NATO auspices and would be separate from existing missions in the Baltic region and Poland. British officials have stated that the armed forces are already preparing for a greater role in Arctic security.

The publication also learned that the European Union is developing plans for sanctions against American companies if Trump rejects the proposal to deploy NATO forces.

• According to The Economist, the US prepares a deal with Greenland, bypassing Denmark. And European countries, together with Copenhagen, are working on a countermeasure plan in the USA.
• Politico wrote that Trump administration could provide Europe with security guarantees for Ukraine in exchange for expanding its presence in Greenland.