Dutch, Belgian, French and Canadian Troops to Train in Greenland Amid Trump's Annexation Push

The Netherlands confirmed August 8, 2026 it will send military personnel to Greenland the following month for a NATO Arctic Sentry exercise, joining Belgium (roughly 30 special forces troops), France and Canada. NATO diplomats reportedly told Dutch outlet De Telegraaf that beyond shielding the High North from Russian and Chinese interest, the deployment is also intended to signal to Washington that European allies will not accept a unilateral US move to take Greenland from Denmark. The exercise follows Trump's July 7 Ankara summit remark that Greenland 'should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,' and Danish PM Mette Frederiksen's response that Denmark would 'defend every centimeter' of the island. The White House has said the European deployment will not affect Trump's Greenland ambitions.