A 15-member German Bundeswehr team returned from Greenland on January 19, 2026, after gathering on-the-ground insights for NATO-coordinated Arctic security contributions, while two Royal Netherlands Navy officers completed preparatory meetings there for a joint military exercise and began returning, according to statements posted by @GermanyNATO and Dutch Defense Ministry between 6:46 p.m. and 7:46 p.m. UTC. The German team coordinated with NATO partners on possible contributions to Arctic strengthening, as stated by @GermanyNATO. The Dutch officers' work followed the same plan as a prior German team, per a Dutch Defense news release shared by @pascalbtr on X. These visits support allied efforts in the region. Denmark's defense chief stated the country needs Swedish Gripen fighters after spending billions on U.S. weapons, turning eyes to Sweden following U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to Greenland, according to a report shared in the Le Parisien X post. Separately, an X post by @Mikaa_BM noted Swedish Gripen jets deployed to Iceland's Keflavik base are about 1 hour 30 minutes' flight from Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq. A Danish military internal report revealed U.S. military officials sought information via unofficial channels on key Greenland facilities, airfields, and ports useful for an invasion, according to Berlingske newspaper, as cited in X posts by @GorillaOSINT and @yarotrof during the period. This follows Danish military intelligence's directive earlier on January 19 banning Bluetooth headphones for agents over U.S. espionage risks, per prior reports.
