Fact Check: Is the video showing an European warship convoy securing Greenland from US attack real?
WASHINGTON, DC: A viral video has been circulating online with the claim that a convoy of warships sent by European countries is securing Greenland from an attack by the United States amid the tensions surrounding President Donald Trump’s interest in acquiring the Arctic territory. Let us examine the origins of the video and fact-check the claim.
Claim: Video shows European warship convoy to defend Greenland
The video that has been circulating on social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok surfaced after several European countries announced that they would send troops to Greenland in response to threats by Trump to seize the Danish kingdom's autonomous territory.
The video includes clips from more than one video, showing a convoy of ships advancing on the sea.
Fact Check: False claim, the video is AI-generated
However, the video was manipulated using Artificial Intelligence, as detected by AI detectors such as Hive Moderation and Deppfake-O-Meter.
The video was based on a photo of a Russian defense equipment parade, not a European one.
A reverse image search for the video showed that the visuals in the video were identical to a photo of a Russian Navy parade in St. Petersburg, which was published by the BBC in 2019.
According to the original report, the photo was taken off the historic Kronstadt base in the Baltic Sea, and numerous warships were seen lining up.
A second visual review found inconsistencies in the circulating images. These images show thick smoke rising from the ships. However, footage from the original Euronews video at the 12:56 mark shows no smoke coming from any vessel in the parade.
Troops deployed amid Donald Trump's annexation threats
Some countries in the European Union have deployed troops to the Arctic territory since January 15. The task force consists of three Swedish soldiers, two Norwegian personnel, 15 French mountain specialists, and one British soldier.
The Netherlands is sending a naval officer, while Finland is deploying two military liaison officers.
Trump’s threats to annex Greenland have raised serious doubts about the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and have threatened the stability of transatlantic trade.
Trump even threatened to impose a 10 percent tariff on Denmark and seven other European countries if an agreement to sell the islands to the United States is not reached by June 1.
However, on January 21, 2026, Trump abruptly withdrew his threat after speaking with international leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
