European troops land in Greenland as US interest in the island grows

A number of European countries have begun deploying military personnel to Greenland’s capital Nuuk .

It's a move which comes amid growing interest from the United States (US).

The deployments involve small reconnaissance teams from countries including France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and the UK.

The so-called ' recognition-of-the-territory exercise' will see troops plant the European Union’s flag on Greenland as a 'symbolic act'.

UK correspondent Adam Gilchrist says the deployment of troops it's an extraordinary military reaction to what a 'friend' is saying, rather than what an enemy is doing.

"Donald Trump asserts, as he put it a couple of weeks ago, Russian and Chinese ships all over Greenland, although there's been no evidence of that."

The European mission follows recent statements by the US president that Greenland is vital to US security and that the US “needs” the island.

"You could argue that his whole stance of Greenland could be to get Europe to help shore-up what is essentially a NATO border into the Arctic."

But Gilchrist says it's worth noting the size of the deployments by the EU nations.

"It's tiny, I mean the UK sent one military officer...but, nonetheless, it is dancing to Donald Trump's tune, isn't it? But is this the dance he intended?"

But while the initial European contingents are small, leaders describe the deployments as symbolic and reaffirming support for Greenland’s defence and for NATO’s role in the Arctic.

To listen to Adam Gilchrist in conversation with 702’s Bongani Bingwa, click the audio below.