Germany is considering sending Eurofighter jets, reconnaissance aircraft, and naval vessels to Greenland for NATO exercises aimed at strengthening Arctic security, a Defense Ministry spokesman said Friday.
The announcement came as a German military reconnaissance team departed for Greenland to assess conditions for potential future drills with NATO allies in the strategically important region.
Defense Ministry spokesman Michael Stempfle said the team would evaluate various military options in coordination with Denmark, which leads the mission.
"The question is whether the Arctic is secure and how we can contribute together with our NATO partners," Stempfle told reporters in Berlin. "We are considering exercises with P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, the deployment of frigates or other naval units for maritime surveillance, and theoretically also the deployment of Eurofighters."
The reconnaissance mission is led by Denmark and includes participation from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Britain, France, and the Netherlands. Germany has dispatched more than a dozen military personnel, including logistics experts from various branches.
Stempfle said the team would examine local conditions and challenging weather patterns to determine what types of exercises could be conducted on land, at sea, and in the air. "When you consider what exercises could be done there — at sea, on land, in the air — you have to look at the local conditions, and that is exactly what should happen," he said.
Asked whether the mission could lead to permanent stationing of forces, Stempfle said it was too early to make such assessments.
"It is too early to judge whether this is about stationing," he said. "As far as I know, it is now primarily about looking at the conditions on site, then also talking about exercises within the framework of NATO with our partners, and we can only say everything else once the talks have taken place on site and the further talks in the coming weeks."
The Danish-led plans to boost military presence and conduct drills in Greenland come amid heightened tensions with the US administration.
President Trump has long insisted that the US "needs Greenland" and has not ruled out using military force to achieve that objective. Crisis talks on Wednesday at the White House between senior US officials and Danish and Greenlandic leaders failed to resolve the dispute.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said late Thursday that Germany is aware of threats posed by Russia and China in the region, and suggested that a reinforced NATO presence in Greenland could address US President Donald Trump's concerns without compromising Denmark's sovereignty.
"We are simply taking away his (Trump's) main argument by saying we are securing this territory," Pistorius told public broadcaster ARD. "We not only share your security concerns, but we are also committed to addressing them together."
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters on Friday that Germany will work to strengthen dialogue between the US and Europe on Greenland. He added that Berlin is prepared to lead on Arctic security.
"As Europeans, we must quickly close existing gaps and catch up in terms of capabilities. The goal is clear: as Europeans, we must be prepared to assume responsibility for our security together," he told a news conference in Berlin.
"Germany is ready to assume a leadership role. This applies to NATO's eastern flank within the framework of enhanced EU defense readiness, and this also applies to the Arctic, where we are facing a new security dimension," he stressed.
