Denmark to increase military spending in Arctic by $2 billion - as Trump sets his sights on Greenland
Denmark to increase military spending in Arctic by $2 billion - as Trump sets his sights on Greenland
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‘We must face the fact that there are serious challenges regarding security and defense in the Arctic and North Atlantic,’ Danish defense minister says. Denmark is set to increase military spending in its Arctic semiautonomous territory of Greenland by the equivalent of $2 billion following multiple aggressive statements by U.S. President Donald Trump about purchasing the territory.
![[Trump has called for U.S. control of Greenland since his first term in office]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/28/16/SEI237610492.jpg)
Greenland, a massive island in the North Atlantic, has grown increasingly important in recent years as the Arctic ice melts, opening up new sea routes for commercial shipping. Trump has called for U.S. control of Greenland since his first term in office. “Ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for national security reasons, the president has said, and he has refused to rule out using military or economic force to gain control of the territory.
Copenhagen is spending more on its North Atlantic territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands as part of an agreement struck last year amid rising tensions in the Arctic between the U.S., Russia and China. But the announcement of the growth in spending was likely pushed forward amid increased strains in the relationship between Copenhagen and Washington over control of Greenland, Niels Thulesen Dahl, a political analyst at Jyllands-Posten, a Danish daily, said, according to The Times.
The governments of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands will buy three Arctic naval vessels to patrol its waters according to the agreement. In addition, they will also obtain two long-range drones and satellites for increased surveillance in the area, the official statement said.
