German troops exit Greenland abruptly after secret Berlin recall

Defence affairs - Def-Geopolitics on X

A German military team of 15 soldiers, led by Rear Adm. Stefan Pauli, abruptly left Greenland with no explanation, Bild reported.

The group flew out of Nuuk Airport aboard an Icelandair Boeing 737, according to the outlet.

Just a day earlier, reports had suggested that the German soldiers would extend their stay. Instead, they quietly left the island without notifying local authorities or making their departure public, Bild said.

A mission spokesperson did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and officials in Berlin also declined to explain the move.

According to the report, the withdrawal order came from Berlin on the morning of Jan. 18. The soldiers received no reasoning — just a directive to return home — forcing them to cancel all scheduled meetings. Their flight was booked for noon, meaning they spent just 44 hours in Greenland between landing and takeoff.

Rear Adm. Pauli had said on Jan. 17 that his team had held talks with Danish officials and others about possible future cooperation. He said Berlin had been briefed on the discussions and a response was expected to greenlight next steps with the Danes.

Bild noted that Pauli made those remarks at 3:30 p.m. local time. By 8:30 a.m. the following day, the soldiers were already at the airport with all their gear.

The paper said it remains unclear whether the hasty departure was linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of new tariffs against countries that opposed his push to acquire Greenland and backed Denmark — or whether the withdrawal stemmed from unrelated reasons.

The 15 German soldiers had arrived in Greenland on Jan. 16 as part of a NATO reconnaissance mission at Denmark’s invitation. Their objective was to conduct training and assess opportunities for future exercises and deployments.

Trump announced the new tariffs on Jan. 17, targeting products from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland. He said the move was a response to those countries supporting Denmark’s territorial integrity and deploying troops to Greenland.

“For many years, the United States has subsidized Denmark and other European countries without charging them tariffs or other payments,” Trump said. “It’s time for Denmark to show gratitude by transferring control of Greenland to the United States.”

European Council President Antonio Costa later said EU member states were coordinating a joint response to the U.S. decision.