Greenland Military Drills: Carney Eyes NATO Exercise

Prime Minister Mark Carney is considering deploying Canadian soldiers to Greenland for military exercises with NATO allies, as U.S. President Donald Trump threatens tariffs on European nations if they do not allow the U.S. to purchase and control the semiautonomous island.

Contingency Plans Under Review

Two senior Canadian officials have confirmed that a set of contingency plans were presented to the federal government last week. A Royal Canadian Air Force contingent is already participating in a pre-planned NORAD exercise in Greenland. The prime minister is now evaluating whether to send additional forces as part of sovereignty exercises planned by Denmark, which could include drills to protect the Arctic island’s critical infrastructure.

Officials acknowledge the political implications of Canada’s potential involvement and the possible negative reaction from the Trump administration, stating they are uncertain about the government’s final decision.

A small contingent of Canadian soldiers could be deployed to Greenland by the end of the week if requested, according to the sources. While all nations involved are NATO members, participation in the Danish exercise would occur outside the alliance’s framework, similar to the international efforts supporting Ukraine.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to purchase Greenland, and over the weekend, he threatened a 10 per cent tariff on eight European countries opposing the idea: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland. He added that the tariff rate would increase to 25 per cent on June 1 if a deal to buy Greenland is not reached.

The European countries named by Trump have voiced their support for Denmark, warning that a U.S. military seizure of a NATO territory could jeopardize the alliance. In a joint statement, they affirmed their solidarity with the people of Greenland and their commitment to principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Canada’s Position

At a press conference in Doha, Qatar, Carney stated that Canada is “concerned” by Trump’s tariff threat and “we always will support sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries wherever their geographic location is.” He emphasized that “Decisions about the future of Greenland are for Greenland and Denmark to decide.”

Gen. Jennie Carignan, chief of the defence staff, acknowledged that Trump’s interest in controlling Greenland is prompting “discussions within NATO.” She confirmed that Canada is “always working closely with our Danish partner” and that there is “a lot of interest in Arctic security from a NATO perspective.”