Belgium to deploy troops to Greenland as part of NATO mission

Belgium will deploy around 30 military personnel to Denmark's self-governing territory of Greenland in early September, as part of NATO's newly established Arctic Sentry mission, Defense Minister Theo Francken confirmed to Belgian broadcaster VTM on Friday.

The deployment will include troops from the 1st Brigade based in Leopoldsburg, as well as members of the Belgian Special Forces.

The mission is intended to strengthen NATO's presence in the Arctic region, including around Greenland, Iceland, and the Arctic Ocean, amid what the alliance describes as growing strategic interest from Russia and China.

Belgian forces will carry out deterrence and training activities, including operating drones and testing counter-drone systems.

Greenland's vast territory offers suitable conditions for conducting such exercises, according to Belgian authorities.

Belgium will lead the operation together with Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Sweden.

According to VTM, the alliance intended to send a "clear message" to US President Donald Trump, asserting that it is "capable of ensuring the protection of the Arctic and the strategic island itself."

The decision follows tensions over Greenland after Trump recently repeated his desire to acquire the island, calling US control of Greenland a historical and strategic necessity.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected Trump's remarks, reiterating that Greenland "is not for sale" and that only the people of Greenland can determine the island's future.