U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to impose higher tariffs on European countries sending troops to Denmark’s Arctic Endurance drill won’t change Estonia’s plans to participate, Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said Sunday.
“Estonia’s position has not changed — we’ve said we are ready to take part in the [Arctic Endurance] exercise,” Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said. “I don’t think it makes much sense to discuss economic matters in relation to participation in military exercises. There’s no need to link the two,” he added.
Pevkur noted that joint exercises among NATO allies are routine. “For example, exercises are constantly being held under various frameworks, such as Nordic-Baltic cooperation or other formats. And if Estonia has the opportunity to train with allies in the northern region, then of course we will take that opportunity,” the minister said.
“Estonia is ready. I’ve given the mandate to the commander of the Estonian Defense Forces and once all the technical aspects are agreed upon, our troops will be able to participate,” Pevkur continued.
Estonia has not yet deployed any personnel to the exercise, but planning is underway, according to the minister.
“Our first planning meeting took place on Friday and those meetings will continue next week. For instance, Latvia has also expressed interest in joining the planning process. Once we complete that, we’ll be able to say exactly what Estonia’s participation will look like. But it’s possible that during the planning phase, we’ll send one communications officer to Greenland in advance,” said Pevkur.
At this stage, it’s hard to say how many Estonian personnel will go. Previous estimates have ranged from five to ten troops.
“Planning for exercises isn’t something you do on the fly,” Pevkur said. “As I mentioned, the next coordination meetings and planning group discussions are happening next week.”
Trump wants Greenland and threatening high tariffs
Starting February 1, the United States will impose a 10 percent tariff on all goods exported to the U.S. from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland, former President Donald Trump announced Saturday on his social media platform Truth Social.
“On June 1, 2026, the tariff will increase to 25 percent. This tariff will remain in place until an agreement is reached for the full and final purchase of Greenland,” he wrote.
Trump’s move stems from his oft-repeated belief that Denmark is incapable of defending Greenland from Russia and China, which he claims also have ambitions for the island.
“On top of everything else, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland have journeyed to Greenland for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the safety, security and survival of our planet,” the US president wrote.
The so-called unknown purpose Trump referred to is Operation Arctic Endurance, a military exercise led by Denmark.
—