Germany withdraws its military team from Greenland after less than two days, citing urgent recall orders.
German mission in Greenland ends in under two days
A German military reconnaissance team concluded its mission in Greenland on Sunday, January 18, according to a Bundeswehr spokesperson speaking to DPA. Fifteen soldiers had landed on January 16 to participate in Denmark’s “Arctic Endurance” exercise. While initially planned to end on Sunday, reports on Saturday suggested a possible extension. The soldiers ultimately departed Nuuk airport via civilian aircraft to Copenhagen.
Mission yields “important information” for NATO coordination
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defense stated its team completed the international exploratory mission as scheduled. Soldiers acquired “important information,” the ministry added, enabling coordination with NATO partners to “strengthen security in the North Atlantic and Arctic.”
Bild first reported soldiers’ return amid canceled meetings
The newspaper “Bild” was first to report the German soldiers’ return. Its photographers captured Bundeswehr personnel at Nuuk airport. The outlet revealed an early morning recall order was issued on Sunday, forcing “all planned meetings to be urgently canceled,” resulting in a mission lasting less than two days.
Trump threatens tariffs on troop-deploying nations
Germany’s deployment was interpreted as a signal to the US of Europe’s readiness to secure Greenland. On Saturday, January 17, Donald Trump announced 10% tariffs on imports from eight European nations that sent troops to Greenland: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, Finland, and the Netherlands. Tariffs rise to 25% on June 1, effective February 1.
