Future of the Arctic
Wadephul on Iceland – Topics Greenland and Arctic security
Updated on January 11, 2026 – 7:45 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
On the way to a meeting with his US colleague Rubio, the German Foreign Minister makes a stop in Iceland. On the neighboring island of Greenland there is also one main topic.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is making a stopover in Iceland on his flight to the USA. The CDU politician met his colleague Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir on the island, which is just 300 kilometers southeast of Greenland. The meeting takes place against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s threats to take Greenland by force.
Like the USA and Germany, Iceland and Greenland, which officially belongs to Denmark, are members of NATO. Security in the Arctic region is also likely to be a topic when Wadephul talks to Gunnarsdóttir.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to take Greenland by force. He referred to the strategic importance of the island, a recent large presence of Russian and Chinese ships in the region – and Greenland’s mineral resources. Trump’s statements are particularly concerning because he did not rule out military and economic coercion to gain control over Greenland. The island is four-fifths covered with ice and is six times the size of Germany.
When Wadephul arrived in Reykjavik, Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) was also waiting for him at the bottom of the plane. “Is this Klingonia?” asked the Foreign Minister in a good mood and jokingly. The two ministers’ aircraft were parked next to each other – Klingbeil is also on a trip to the USA and had made a refueling stop there. Wadephul said goodbye to Klingbeil with a slap and the words “Hit in”.
This Monday, Wadephul will be received by his colleague Marco Rubio in the US capital Washington. Trump’s threats against Greenland are also likely to play an important role here. In addition to transatlantic security and defense policy, the meeting will also focus on continued support for the country that was attacked by Russia almost four years ago, against the backdrop of ongoing discussions about a ceasefire in Ukraine.
