By Anthony Marcus for Eurasia Business News, January 18, 2025. Article n°1991
Bild report that Germany abruptly ordered its small Bundeswehr reconnaissance contingent to leave Greenland and fly back to Europe, but Berlin has not yet given a public explanation for the decision. The withdrawal concerns about 13–15 soldiers who had only just arrived on the island as part of a short NATO-related assessment mission led by Denmark amid rising tensions with the United States over Greenland and new tariff threats by President Donald Trump.
What Bild reported
Bild says the soldiers, led by Rear Admiral Stefan Pauly, received sudden orders from Berlin on Sunday morning to depart from Nuuk, with all planned activities and meetings canceled at short notice.
According to these reports, the troops were given no reason for the early withdrawal, and there were no official announcements or statements from the German government at the time of departure.
The original mission
Germany had just deployed an advance reconnaissance team of around a dozen to 15 soldiers to Greenland at Denmark’s invitation, to assess conditions for possible NATO exercises and enhanced Arctic security measures.
The mission was publicly framed as a very short “exploration” or reconnaissance visit, meant to last only a few days while the team evaluated the framework for future contributions such as surveillance and support for Denmark.
Political context
The deployment and withdrawal are taking place against a broader dispute in which President Donald Trump has pushed the idea that the United States should control Greenland and has threatened 10% tariffs on several European countries involved in the mission.
This is not the first time Donald Trump has spoken about the need for US control over Greenland. At the end of December 2025, he told the BBC that the United States “needs” Greenland for “national defense.” Then the president also noted “Chinese and Russian ships” as “a potential threat in nearby seas,” the BBC reported.
EU and European leaders, including officials in Germany, have criticized the tariff threats and rejected the notion that Greenland should fall under U.S. control, instead emphasizing collective NATO security and Denmark’s and Greenland’s decision‑making role.
Denmark, which is responsible for Greenland’s defense, has announced an expanded military presence “in close cooperation with allies” to strengthen Arctic security and show that Greenland’s defense is a shared NATO concern.
What is known and unknown
Confirmed by multiple sources: a small German military team deployed to Greenland for a brief reconnaissance mission on January 15 and has now left the island earlier than expected, on civilian flights, with no detailed public explanation from Berlin.
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The precise reason for the sudden order to withdraw is still unclear, whether it was driven mainly by operational assessments, political pressure linked to U.S. tariffs and Greenland tensions, or internal German and NATO deliberations, since officials have not provided a detailed account yet.
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© Copyright 2025 – Eurasia Business News. Article no. 1991
Eurasia Business News 