The United Kingdom has sent a military officer to Greenland as part of a joint operation with Denmark and other allied nations, responding to heightened security concerns in the Arctic. The deployment comes amid repeated calls by US President Donald Trump for the United States to take control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
Denmark’s Defence Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, confirmed the joint operation on Wednesday, warning that “no one can predict what will happen tomorrow”. Downing Street stated that the UK officer was deployed at Denmark’s request to join a reconnaissance group ahead of the planned Arctic Endurance exercise.
A UK spokesperson said: “We share President Trump’s concern about the security of the High North. And you see this as part of Nato and JEF nations stepping up to reinforce security in the High North.” They added that the move aims to “deter the Russian aggression and the Chinese activity”.
Germany, Sweden, Norway, and France have also confirmed they will send personnel to the joint mission, which seeks to map out further cooperation to bolster regional security. French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday that French military elements were already en route to participate in Operation Arctic Endurance.
The UK has stepped up discussions on Arctic security since the US began openly discussing annexation of Greenland at the start of 2026. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer raised the issue in calls last week with President Trump, the Danish prime minister, and the Nato secretary-general. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, during a tour of Scandinavia, pledged to strengthen Arctic defences, stating: “Arctic security is a critical transatlantic partnership issue for the security of Britain and Nato.”
