ISTANBUL
France will deploy a small military detachment to Greenland to take part in a joint "cold-weather exercise" with Denmark and several other European countries, the French Armed Forces Ministry said on Wednesday.
According to the ministry, the mission will involve mountain warfare units, with details on troop numbers and their exact mandate to be announced during President Emmanuel Macron’s annual address to the armed forces on Thursday at the Istres air base in southern France, Le Monde reported.
Earlier, Denmark said it will beef up its military presence in Greenland “from today, deploying capabilities and units related to the exercise activities.”
Sweden also announced it had sent officers to participate in a military exercise in the territory.
Separately, Germany said it would send soldiers to Greenland from Thursday to Saturday as part of a “reconnaissance mission” alongside other European partners to support Denmark.
US President Donald Trump has insisted that Greenland should be "in the hands of the US" to counter threats from Russia and China.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, after a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, told reporters that they "didn't manage to change American position" on Greenland.