BERLIN

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday that NATO allies are discussing enhanced security measures for Greenland, expressing hope for a "mutually agreeable solution" within the alliance.

"We are indeed discussing Greenland within NATO," Merz told reporters during his visit to India. "We share the American concerns that this part of Denmark needs better protection. I hope that we can reach a mutually agreeable solution within NATO,” he said.

His comments came amid reports that the UK and several other European allies are considering deploying troops to Greenland to address concerns raised by US President Donald Trump about Russia's and China's growing interest in the Arctic region.

Merz told reporters that Germany's foreign minister is in Washington, DC, for talks that will include discussions on Greenland's security. Germany is also in "extensive discussions" with the Danish government, he added.

"We simply want to improve the security situation for Greenland together," Merz said. "I assume that the Americans will also participate. The extent of their involvement will become clear in the discussions of the coming days and weeks."

A German Defense Ministry spokesman downplayed on Monday media reports that claimed Germany was discussing troop deployments to Greenland with its European allies amid tensions between the US and Denmark.

"For the time being, I am not aware of any concrete plans for troop deployment," Mitko Muller told a press conference in Berlin. "The issue of security in the North Atlantic and Arctic regions must be addressed multilaterally," he said, referring to NATO's leading role for regional security.

Meanwhile, Patrick Sensburg, president of the voluntary reservists union of the German armed forces, called for the permanent deployment of German soldiers in Greenland.

"We must assume that Trump is serious about Greenland. Europe must therefore show much stronger presence. We must deploy at least one European brigade under Denmark's leadership there in a short time. Germany will also have a special responsibility here," he told German daily Bild.

Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, has attracted US interest due to its strategic location and vast mineral resources.

Trump stated on Friday that the US would take action regarding Greenland regardless of objections, claiming that inaction would allow Russia or China to take control of the territory.

“We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland, and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor,” he said.

Trump previously described owning Greenland as an "absolute necessity" for US economic security, likening it to a "large real estate deal."

Both Denmark and Greenland have rejected any proposals to sell the territory, reaffirming Danish sovereignty over the island.