On 18/1, a spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defense announced that the country's military reconnaissance team had departed Greenland aboard a civilian aircraft, returning to Copenhagen, Denmark. This concluded a two-day deployment to the strategic island.

"The reconnaissance results are satisfactory, and an evaluation process is underway in Germany. The reconnaissance operation was not canceled; instead, it was completed as planned," the spokesperson stated.

German soldiers prepare to board a bus in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, Denmark, on 16/1. Photo: AFP

German soldiers prepare to board a bus in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, Denmark, on 16/1. Photo: AFP

However, questions remain about whether Germany's withdrawal was unplanned. Bild newspaper reported that German soldiers were informed on 17/1 that they would stay in Greenland longer than expected, but on 18/1, they were ordered to return, canceling many meetings. The German newspaper suggested the withdrawal might be a reaction to tariff threats from US President Donald Trump.

In a social media post last week, Trump criticized "Britain, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Finland, and Sweden for deploying troops to Greenland with unclear objectives," asserting that this posed a significant danger to the security, safety, and survival of the entire planet.

On 17/1, President Trump threatened to impose a 10% tariff on all goods imported from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, and Finland. This tariff was to take effect from 1/2 and increase to 25% in early June. He declared that this measure would remain until the US reached an agreement to "fully and completely" acquire Greenland.

Lieutenant Colonel Peter Mielewczyk, another spokesperson for the German Ministry of Defense, affirmed that cooperation between Germany and Denmark was "very positive and constructive." He added that the German soldiers had "lively exchanges" with forces from France, the Netherlands, and Iceland. "The interactions with the people of Greenland were also very positive. They waved hello, and we waved back," he said.

Location of Greenland. Graphic: Britannica

Location of Greenland. Graphic: Britannica

On 14/1, Denmark announced it would hold exercises on Greenland, with several European nations indicating they would deploy soldiers to participate. The activity was announced after negotiations between officials from Denmark, Greenland, and the US concluded without resolving fundamental disagreements between the parties regarding issues related to the island.

Greenland is the world's largest island, located near North America, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. The island belongs to Denmark, has a population of 57,000 people, and covers an area of approximately 2,16 million km2, which is larger than Mexico and more than three times the size of the US state of Texas.

The island lies on the shortest route from North America to Europe, making it a crucial strategic location for Washington. Greenland possesses abundant mineral resources, most of which remain untapped.

Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, Reuters, Spiegel, Tagesspiegel)