January 26, 2026 | 03:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A video claiming to show a convoy of warships securing Greenland from a U.S. attack was shared by several accounts on Instagram [archive], Facebook, and TikTok.
This content circulated after several European countries announced that they would send troops to Greenland in response to threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to seize the Danish kingdom's autonomous territory.
Is it true that the convoy of European warships was intended to protect Greenland from a U.S. attack?
FACT CHECK
Tempo verified the content by searching credible news reports and using an AI detector. The results showed that the warship convoy video was an AI manipulation based on a photo of a Russian defense equipment parade, not a European one.
Visual Verification
First, Tempo used Google's reverse image search feature to verify the 12-second video. The results showed that the visuals in the video were identical to a photo of a Russian Navy parade in St. Petersburg that was published by the BBC on July 28, 2019. The photo was taken by EPA photographer Valentin Yegorshin.
The original report explained that the largest military parade was taking place near St. Petersburg in a photo caption. Off the historic Kronstadt base in the Baltic Sea, numerous warships were seen lining up.
Second, a visual analysis revealed anomalies in the circulating photos showing thick smoke billowing from the ships' hulls. However, authentic evidence suggests otherwise. At the 12:56 mark in the original video uploaded by the Euronews YouTube channel, no smoke is visible from any of the ships in the parade.
Tempo then confirmed these findings by testing with the Hive Moderation and Deepfake-O-Meter detection tools. Both tools concluded that the video was fake, with Deepfake-O-Meter giving it a 100 percent probability score.
European Countries Do Not Send Warships
A number of European Union member states have deployed troops to Greenland since Thursday, January 15, 2026. Tempo reports that the task force consists of three Swedish soldiers, two Norwegian personnel, 15 French mountain specialists, and one British soldier who joined the reconnaissance group.
The Netherlands is sending a naval officer, and Finland is deploying two military liaison officers. These deployments are intended to prepare for military exercises later this year in anticipation of an invasion by the Donald Trump administration.
For weeks, Trump has threatened to annex Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory. These threats have raised serious doubts about the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and have threatened the stability of transatlantic trade, which is worth approximately US$1.7 trillion.
Trump threatened to impose a 10 percent tariff on Denmark and seven other European countries starting February 1, 2026. If an agreement to sell the mineral-rich islands to the United States is not reached by June 1, the tariff is planned to jump to 25 percent.
However, on January 21, 2026, Trump abruptly withdrew his threat. Hours after speaking with international leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, he changed his mind, citing his reluctance to use force to annex Greenland. Nevertheless, he insisted that only the United States could ensure the security of the strategic territory.
CONCLUSION
Based on Tempo's investigation, the claim that a convoy of European warships was sent to protect Greenland from a potential U.S. attack is false.
TEMPO FACT-CHECK TEAM
**Do you have information or claims that you want to have fact-checked? Contact our ChatBot. You can also send criticism, objections, or feedback for this Fact-Checking article via email to [email protected].
Read: Fact Check: Claim Linking Iran Blackout to Global Elites Is False
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Fact Check: Claim Linking Iran Blackout to Global Elites Is False
1 hari lalu
Fact check - The internet blackout in Iran was the government's response to widespread protests.
Fact Check: Did World Bank Rank Indonesia as World's Second-Poorest Country?
1 hari lalu
Fact Check - The World Bank has never officially released a ranking of the poorest countries.
Fact Check: UN Not Moving Headquarters to Indonesia
3 hari lalu
Fact Check - There are no plans to move the UN headquarters to Indonesia.
Fact Check: No, Photo of Plane Crash Survivor Was Not from ATR 42-500 Incident
4 hari lalu
Fact check - The circulating photo was of a victim of a plane crash in Binuang, North Kalimantan, on Friday, March 8, 2024.
Fact Check: Is Trump Moving 1 Million Israelis to Papua?
5 hari lalu
Fact Check - There is no credible evidence to support claims that Donald Trump plans to relocate one million Israelis to Papua, Indonesia.
Fact Check: Did NASA Stop Ocean Exploration in 1978?
6 hari lalu
Fact check - NASA continues to study the oceans as part of its Earth observation efforts.
Fact Check: Viral Video of Maduro Arrest Celebration Is AI-Generated
7 hari lalu
Fact check - The video was created using artificial intelligence (AI) manipulation.
Fact Check: Claim of US Nuclear Test Behind 2004 Aceh Tsunami Is False
8 hari lalu
Fact check - All claims in the circulating narrative are refuted by facts from credible sources.
Fact Check: No Evidence Nadiem Makarim Handed Rp450 Trillion Over to Jokowi
9 hari lalu
Nadiem Makarim never said he handed Rp450 trillion over to Jokowi.
Fact Check: North Natuna Sea Was Not Used as Collateral for the Whoosh Rail Project
10 hari lalu
Fact check - About 20 social media posts claim the North Natuna Sea was used as collateral for the Whoosh rail project.
