The “Arctic Endurance” military operation in Greenland has come to life, proposed by Denmark – which maintains sovereignty over the island – and supported by some European countries, in response to Donald Trump’s expansionist aims. The mission has a limited military dimension, but significant political weight. It is certainly a tool to strengthen security in the Arctic, but it is above all a message addressed to Washington: the countries that have joined it, all members of NATO, show themselves united against their ally and strongest supporter of the Atlantic Alliance.
What is the military operation “Arctic Endurance”
The “Arctic Endurance” mission, or also Arctic resistance, sees the participation of eight NATO member countries, which have sent a few dozen soldiers to Greenland, to ensure a more continuous presence on the territory through “rotating” forces. The first 15 French soldiers arrived in the capital Nuuk during the night, a relatively small number compared to the 20 thousand inhabitants who populate the city, more than a third of the entire population of the island where around 150 American soldiers are stationed.
Alongside the soldiers sent from France, there are already soldiers arriving from Germany and Sweden, while others are arriving from the United Kingdom, Norway, Finland and the Netherlands. Some Estonian soldiers should also join this contingent. No Italian soldiers, however. It is the government’s decision taken, shared and reiterated also with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who from Japan made it known that “Italy is convinced that the Arctic must always be a priority of the EU and NATO and that the Atlantic alliance must seize the opportunity to develop a coordinated presence in the region capable of preventing tensions and responding to the interference of other actors”. And for other actors, the prime minister is probably referring to Russia and China, but not to the United States, which claims the importance of getting its hands on the island to guarantee national security. More ironic, however, is the position of Defense Minister Crosetto, who dismisses the race for mini contingents as a meaningless competition: “What do one hundred, two hundred or three hundred soldiers of any nationality do? It seems like the beginning of a joke.” In the wake of a prudence already expressed on the Ukrainian dossier in view of a possible post-war scenario, Rome is thus once again excluding the sending of troops. “We are all in NATO”, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also recalled. Canada, which will not send troops, assures its support for the initiative and for Greenlandic sovereignty, and confirms the short opening of a consulate in the capital.
What are the objectives of the military mission
The “Arctic Endurance”, which will continue until Saturday 17 January, is not a NATO exercise, but an initiative of some countries that are part of it. The exercise should include “surveillance of essential installations, assistance to local authorities, including the police, the reception of allied troops, the deployment of fighter aircraft in and around Greenland and the resolution of naval tasks”, reads the official note from the Danish Defense. Inevitably, it will also be an opportunity to test the soldiers’ ‘Arctic resistance’ in the polar climate.
Once the reconnaissance phase is concluded, the allies could still consider a leap in scale with the start of Operation Arctic Sentry. A first meeting between the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, and the ministers of Copenhagen and Nuuk is expected on January 19th in Brussels. Later, in a rapidly changing strategic framework, allied defense leaders will meet on February 12. European law remains the safety net for US aggression: Greenland is covered by the mutual aid clause of the EU Treaties. A protection which, they point out in Brussels, remains only in the background for now.
The US response
The idea to launch this military exercise came after the unsuccessful meeting between Greenlandic, Danish and US authorities in Washington on the future of the island. But the mission has no effect on Trump. In fact, the cold shower from Washington on the military exercise was not long in coming: the presence of European troops, the White House cut short, will not affect Donald Trump’s decisions.
The United States continues to threaten to take control of the island but has never made clear how it intends to do so, although it has not ruled out the use of force. Greenland has long reiterated its desire not to be annexed to the United States.
