German Bundeswehr Secretly Withdraws from Greenland Following Trump’s Tariff Threats

The German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, secretly left Greenland after threats from U. S. President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on European countries, Bild reports, citing sources.

Rapid Withdrawal and Sudden Orders

According to the sources, the departure order came from Berlin early in the morning, forcing leadership to cancel all planned meetings. "No explanations were given to the troops on the ground-absolutely nothing. Simply: "Return!'” the journalists noted. At 8:30 a. m. local time (1:30 p. m. Moscow time), a 15-person Bundeswehr reconnaissance team, led by mission commander Rear Admiral Stefan Pauli, was seen boarding a Boeing 737 of Icelandair at Nuuk, Greenland's capital.

Mission Completed Amid Positive Cooperation

The Bundeswehr unit spent 44 hours in Greenland. Later, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Milevchuk, representing the German military mission, stated that the forces successfully completed their objectives. He emphasized that cooperation with Danish colleagues was "extremely positive and constructive.”

"We assessed the situation. Now we are heading home with the results,” said the officer, highlighting a lively exchange of ideas among military personnel from different countries. He also noted positive interactions with the local population.
"Although we did not have direct negotiations with the Greenlanders, they welcomed our visible presence in public. They waved at us, and of course, we waved back.”

Political Repercussions of Trump's Tariff Threats

Just hours before the German troops' departure, Donald Trump announced a 10% tariff on several European Union countries over the Greenland situation. The measures would affect Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, and also the United Kingdom and Norway, which are outside the EU. Trump further threatened to raise tariffs to 25% starting June 1 until a deal on the full acquisition of Greenland was reached.

In response, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that Germany firmly supports Denmark and the people of Greenland. He said Trump's tariff threats against countries backing Denmark "undermine transatlantic relations” and could escalate tensions.

Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbail labeled Trump's actions as blackmail. "It is absolutely clear that we will not follow the path chosen by Trump. We will not be blackmailed, nor provoked by tariffs or words,” the politician stated, adding that the Trump administration had crossed the line.