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EU military chief proposes stationing troops in Greenland amid US interest

Reuters |
Jan 25, 2025 09:47 AM IST

EU military chief Robert Brieger suggested stationing EU troops in Greenland amid U.S. interest in the territory

The top European Union military official, Robert Brieger, said it would make sense to station troops from EU countries in Greenland, according to an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag published on Saturday, as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in acquiring the Danish territory.

According to Robert Brieger, the chief military officer for the European Union, it would be prudent to place troops from EU nations in Greenland.(Reuters)
According to Robert Brieger, the chief military officer for the European Union, it would be prudent to place troops from EU nations in Greenland.(Reuters)

"In my view, it would make perfect sense not only to station U.S. forces in Greenland, as has been the case to date, but also to consider stationing EU soldiers there in the future," the chairman of the European Union Military Committee said.

Ultimately, such a step would require a political decision, the Austrian-born general said. The military committee is the highest military office of the European Council, but it serves as a consultative body since the bloc has no dedicated army.

Also read: Donald Trump deploys more military planes for mass deportations, mulling ‘unprecedented’ commercial aircraft use

U.S.-led NATO is the main military alliance for the EU.

Although Greenland is not part of the EU as an overseas territory of Denmark, Europeans, as well as the U.S. have interests in Greenland, the general added, citing its raw materials and strategic location.

"However, with increasing ice melt as a result of climate change, this also creates a certain potential for tension with Russia and possibly China," he said.

Trump has expressed an interest in making Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, part of the United States. He has not ruled out using military or economic power to persuade Denmark to hand it over.

Greenland's strategic location along the shortest route from Europe to North America, vital for the U.S. ballistic missile warning system, has made it a priority for Trump.

Also read: Donald Trump admin freezes all foreign aid by US, including that to Ukraine; Israel exempted

Brieger said he hoped that the U.S. as a member of the United Nations would respect the inviolability of borders as stipulated in the U.N. Charter.

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