- A German reconnaissance unit is to assess the possibilities of military exercises in Greenland.
- The goal of the mission is to find out if the Arctic can be a safe area for NATO.
- Germany is considering the deployment of maritime patrol aircraft, frigates or fighters.
- According to the survey, the majority of Germans perceive Trump’s policy as a threat to NATO.
A reconnaissance unit of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) is due to arrive in Greenland on Friday evening with the task of assessing the possibility of military exercises on this arctic island. It is about whether the Arctic can be a safe area and to what extent Germany together with its NATO partners can contribute to this. the spokesperson of the German Ministry of Defense explained to the DPA agency in Berlin, reports TASR.
He named the deployment of P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft belonging to the German Navy as one of the possibilities. “The deployment of frigates or other naval units is also possible to control the sea space. In theory, the deployment of Eurofighter fighters as well,” the spokesman said.
The exploration mission is led by Denmark, which owns this largely ice-covered island. Several European NATO allies joined the mission – among them, for example, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and Sweden. Germany is represented by army logisticians and experts from various fields – a total of 15 men and women. They completed the first interviews with partners during a stopover in Denmark, and then they are to assess the conditions directly in Greenland.
US President Donald Trump has repeated several times that the United States wants to acquire this strategically important island, with which the European partners in NATO definitely do not agree, DPA reminded.
Based on the results of the recent Politbarometer poll conducted by the ZDF television station and reported by DPA on Friday, the absolute majority of Germans believe that the policy of the American president threatens the continued existence of NATO. Such an opinion is held by 78 percent of respondents, while 18 percent disagree with him.
