Associated Press
August 17, 2025
NUUK, GREENLAND (AP) —
In a development that has drawn muted international response but sharp condemnation from Denmark, elements of the United States National Guard landed in Greenland this week in what the Trump administration is calling a "strategic territorial assertion in the national interest."
The operation, conducted under direct presidential order, saw approximately 400 personnel from Florida and Texas deployed to the island. Troops arrived wearing summer-weight combat uniforms ill-suited to the sub-Arctic climate, where average August temperatures hover around 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius).
No armed conflict was reported. Local Greenlandic authorities stated they were given no warning of the arrival and have requested clarification through diplomatic channels.
“The U.S. troops appear confused, cold, and under-equipped,” said Deputy Mayor Ane Kristiansen of Nuuk. “We have provided temporary shelter and hot beverages. There has been no aggression, but also no communication of intent.”
The soldiers established a temporary perimeter around an unstaffed Danish meteorological outpost approximately 30 kilometers northeast of Nuuk. They raised an American flag and set up basic infrastructure using surplus Arctic gear sourced from a U.S. Army depot in Alaska. The installation has reportedly been named Forward Operating Site Liberty.
In remarks made while departing Trump National Doral for a weekend golf tournament, President Donald J. Trump described the operation as “a beautiful, peaceful deployment—very smart, very legal. We’ve had our eyes on Greenland for a long time. Tremendous location. Very strategic. The Danes never appreciated what they had up there. But we do.”
The Pentagon has yet to issue a formal briefing, though a leaked internal memo described the operation as “non-hostile, presence-focused, and retroactively authorized.”
Danish Foreign Minister Rasmus Strand issued a written statement condemning the move as “an unlawful violation of Danish sovereignty over the territory of Greenland,” calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces and urging NATO to convene an emergency session.
Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has long rejected previous U.S. proposals for purchase or lease of land beyond Thule Air Base. In 2019, the Trump administration publicly floated the idea of buying Greenland, prompting widespread international ridicule and a diplomatic rebuke from Copenhagen.
Local residents have largely responded with calm and curiosity. “They seemed surprised by the cold,” said Einar Møller, a maintenance technician from nearby Kapisillit. “They asked where the Starbucks was. I told them they’d passed it in Reykjavík.”
No timeline has been provided for U.S. withdrawal. The Department of Defense has issued a standing travel advisory for U.S. personnel in Greenland, citing “environmental exposure risk, unconfirmed objectives, and significant logistical gaps.”
