DR journalist in Greenland: The buildup is now visible in the street scene

Military Presence in Greenland

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*DR-journalist in Greenland:* Disarmament is now visible in street scenes

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Foreign military personnel from several NATO countries have moved into Nuuk, where soldiers in camouflage gear are now part of the cityscape, according to journalist Lasse Lindegaard.

The commander of the Arctic Command, General Major Søren Andersen (to the left), was seen greeting soldiers in Nuuk yesterday. (Photo: © Danish Defence, Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix) 19 minutes ago

Military buildup and foreign soldiers are now a visible part of daily life in some parts of Greenland.

An ongoing NATO exercise can now be seen at the airport in Nuuk and in the cityscape of the Greenlandic capital.

This is what DR's journalist in Greenland Lasse Lindegaard reported, who stood at the airport in Nuuk just after an aircraft from the Danish Defense had landed.

- There was a lot of cargo on board, which was unloaded through the cargo hold, he says.

According to Lasse Lindegaard, the aircraft was a concrete image of the situation that Greenland is currently in.

- There is a buildup going on, he says.

Listen to Lasse Lindegaard tell more in the video below:

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Soldiers in the cityscape

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On Wednesday, the Government of Greenland and the Danish Ministry of Defense ( https://www.fmn.dk/da/nyheder/2025/forsvaret-oger-tilstedevarelse-og-fortsatter-med-ovelser-i-gronland-i-tat-samarbejde-med-allierede/ ) announced that, due to the security policy tensions in the Arctic, the Danish Defense will continue its increased exercise activity in Greenland in close cooperation with NATO allies.

And the buildup is no longer just something that is happening on paper.

- They are conducting a NATO exercise, which the Greenlandic government and the Ministry of Defense announced two days ago (on Wednesday, ed.), says Lasse Lindegaard. Now we can see it here at the airport, and we can also see it in the cityscape. There are Norwegian, German, French, and Danish military personnel present in Greenland in these days, he says.

Government authorities have also made an effort to prepare the Greenlandic population for the military becoming more visible.

- They have made a lot of effort to tell the population in Greenland that they should be prepared to see camouflage gear in the cityscape, referring to the soldiers' uniforms.

In the announcement from the Government of Greenland and the Ministry of Defense, it was emphasized that they are working closely to ensure local involvement and insight into local conditions.

- When the exercises first begin, the Greenlandic population will be informed about the activities via the Arctic Command's platform, said the Greenlandic Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Motzfeldt.

In the video below, you can see some of the European soldiers arriving in Nuuk:

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Fly, ships, and soldiers in motion

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According to the Ministry of Defense, the increased presence in the Arctic and the North Atlantic in the coming time will mean more military activity in and around Greenland in the form of both aircraft, ships, and soldiers.

According to DR's information, infantry soldiers and parts of the Jægerkorpset arrived in Nuuk yesterday afternoon local time, while the Ministry of Defense announced in an evening press release ( https://www.forsvaret.dk/da/nyheder/2026/danske-f-35-og-fransk-mrtt-tanker-traner-i-sydostgronland/ ) that two Danish F-35 combat aircraft and a French MRTT tank aircraft had completed a planned training mission in southeastern Greenland during the day.

Read also: Large operation in progress: Flights stream to Greenland with European soldiers ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/groenland/stor-operation-i-gang-fly-stroemmer-til-groenland%C2%A0med-europaeiske-soldater )

Where the extent of the exercise will be, will, according to Lasse Lindegaard, show itself in the coming days.

- We know that there have been F-35 combat aircraft on exercise in and around Greenland, and we also know that ships are on their way from the NATO alliance, he says.

Read also: Correspondent on the Defense's operation in Greenland: They are some of the toughest soldiers ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/groenland/korrespondent-om-forsvarets-operation-i-groenland-det-er-nogle-af-de-mest-haardtslaaende-soldater )

An open question remains whether the USA will also participate in the exercise.

- It sounds from the Arctic Command that the Americans have also been invited. But we have not yet received a response on whether the USA has chosen to participate, says Lasse Lindegaard.

The USA already has around 150 people stationed in Greenland at Pituffik Space Base, formerly known as Thule Base.

As a result of the defense agreement for Greenland from 1951, the US military has largely free access to Greenland.

You can follow the development in our liveblog on Greenland here:

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