German forces quietly flee Greenland after high-profile NATO arrival

German troops withdrew from Greenland over the weekend, days after arriving for a NATO exercise requested by Denmark. The short deployment drew American attention as friction grows between the United States and Europe over the territory.

The soldiers were part of “Operation Arctic Endurance,” a Danish-led military exercise announced after President Donald Trump expressed renewed public interest in Greenland. Residents in Nuuk, the territory's capital, watched as uniformed German personnel boarded a commercial passenger flight out of the territory. About half of the troops were seen seated in business class, the New York Post reports.

German officials denied that the mission ended early. The quick exit though is a tell of how lightly governments are treading the Greenland issue, which has become increasingly sensitive amid Trump’s pressure campaign on Denmark. According to BILD, the troops were on the ground for just 44 hours, and received the message to return just hours before departure.

Greenland sits near key Arctic shipping routes, contains massive reserves of natural resources and rare earth minerals with more potentially being made available by climate change, and hosts major US military infrastructure. Denmark maintains sovereignty over the island.

On Saturday, Denmark released a joint statement with Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom aimed at cooling tensions: “As members of NATO, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest,” the statement said. “The pre-coordinated Danish exercise ‘Arctic Endurance’ conducted with Allies responds to this necessity. It poses no threat to anyone.”

The eight nations also reaffirmed support for Danish sovereignty over Greenland, which has a population of about 56,000, most of them Inuit. “We stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland,” the statement said. “Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” it continued, following recent comments from the president about imposing new tariffs unless Denmark agreed to a US takeover of the island.

Despite the language, the speedy departure of German forces suggests that Europe is hesitant to sustain a long-term military presence in Greenland as tensions with Washington remain unresolved, the New York Post reports.

The withdrawal coincided with an anti-American protest in Greenland on Saturday, where several hundred demonstrators marched toward the local US Consulate. Signs read “Yankee Go Home” and “We are not for sale."