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The Danish government has announced a significant increase in defense spending for Greenland, just hours after newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his desire to purchase the Arctic territory.
BBC reports on the announcement.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated that the defense package amounts to “a double-digit billion figure” in kroner, or at least $1.5 billion.
He called the timing of the announcement “ironic,” as on Monday, Trump declared that ownership and control of the vast island is “an absolute necessity” for the United States.
Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, is home to a major American space facility and holds strategic significance for the U.S. due to its location on the shortest route to Europe. It also possesses large reserves of minerals and oil.
According to Poulsen, the package will fund the acquisition of two new inspection ships, two new long-range drones, and two additional dog sled teams.
It will also finance an expansion of the Arctic Command staff in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, and the modernization of one of the three main civilian airports in Greenland to accommodate supersonic F-35 fighter jets.
“We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years, now we plan to strengthen our presence,” he said.
The defense minister did not provide the exact amount of the package, but Danish media estimates it will be around 12-15 billion kroner.
The statement came the day after Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social: “In order to ensure national security and freedom worldwide, the United States believes that ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede responded to Trump’s comments, stating, “We are not for sale.”
However, he added that Greenlanders must remain open to cooperation and trade, especially with their neighbors.
Analysts say that the plan to strengthen Greenland’s defense has been under discussion for a long time and should not be seen as a direct response to Trump’s remarks.
They note that Denmark has been very slow to expand its military presence in Greenland, but if the country fails to protect the waters surrounding the territory from encroachments by China and Russia, U.S. demands for greater control will likely increase.
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