The European Union’s military leadership has brought up the possibility of stationing EU soldiers on the Danish island of Greenland, which has been claimed by US President Donald Trump.
“The island is of great geopolitical significance and has a significant relevance from a security policy perspective”said Robert Brieger, the chairman of the EU Military Committee, in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag. “In my opinion, it would be entirely sensible to consider stationing EU soldiers in Greenland, not just US forces, in the future. This would be a strong signal and could contribute to stability in the region”said Brieger, who chairs the general staff of the 27 EU member states.
Brieger explained that Greenland is a Danish overseas territory that is not part of the EU, but the Europeans, like the Americans, have interests in the region. The area has rich natural resources and important trade routes for international commerce pass through Greenland. “This creates a certain tension potential vis-à-vis Russia and possibly China, particularly as the ice melts due to climate change”he said.
The EU’s military leader also noted that the 27 EU member states have increased their defense spending to a record high in the past year. “The Ukraine war has led to a reevaluation”said Brieger, who added that the EU member states have recognized the importance of investing more in military capabilities and building up the European defense industry.
According to Brieger, the 27 EU member states had a combined defense budget of approximately 326 billion euros in 2024, a significant increase from the previous year’s 279 billion euros. The trend of defense investments in research, development and procurement of defense goods has also continued, with the data suggesting that the investments will be more than 100 billion euros and account for more than 30 percent of the total defense spending.
In response to US President Trump’s repeated demand that NATO member states invest 5 percent of their economic output in defense, Brieger said, “I think many of President Trump’s statements are primarily rhetorical in nature, with an appellative character.”Many EU countries are working seriously to achieve the 2 percent target, he noted, adding that a 5 percent target is a “simplified approach.”If the defense budget were to be increased by a factor of more than two, the money could not be spent, as there would not be the necessary production capacity in the defense industry. Military planning analyses would also be needed to determine where the money would be invested and where the necessary personnel for deployment and maintenance of the weapons would come from.