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Denmark enhances military presence in Arctic amid Greenland tensions

Denmark has announced a significant strengthening of its military capabilities in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions, revealing plans for an extra 14.6 billion Danish crowns ($2.05 billion) investment in security. This comes amid growing tensions over Greenland, especially with the repeated demands of U.S. President Donald Trump asking Denmark to cede the territory.

Serious challenges regarding security and defense in the Arctic and North Atlantic must be taken seriously,” said Defence Minister of Denmark, Troels Lund Poulsen.

The announcement comes as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen prepares to meet with leaders from France, Germany, and NATO in an effort to shore up what she called “European unity” over Greenland. Frederiksen underlined how serious the situation currently is: “Europe faces a grave situation. With war on the continent and changes in the geopolitical reality, unity is imperative.”

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Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark rich in mineral resources that has gained increasing strategic importance as melting Arctic ice opens new shipping routes. Trump earlier this month emphasized Greenland’s importance to U.S. security and pressed Denmark to cede control.

The U.S. maintains a military presence at the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, crucial for its ballistic missile early-warning system, since it is the shortest distance from Europe to North America.

Despite Greenland’s defense coming under Copenhagen’s umbrella, Denmark has struggled with a full military presence on the vast island, which many have referred to as a “security black hole.”

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In this respect, Denmark has replied with an increase in its military package in the Arctic, by adding three additional vessels, improved drone capabilities, and high-resolution satellites against the next challenges. The Danish resources, counting today, are four worn inspection vessels; a Challenger plane monitoring; a dozen dog-sleigh patrols while the same expanse covers, roughly speaking, four Frances in expanse.

After years of cuts in the defense budget, Denmark allocated 190 billion Danish crowns ($26 billion) for military spending over the next decade, some of which is now being spent on Arctic projects. The military package has been drafted in close cooperation with the Faroe Islands and Greenland governments, the Danish Ministry of Defence said.

Furthermore, the three governments also said they would negotiate a second agreement this summer on deterrence and defense, reflecting commitment to addressing emerging security challenges in the region.

Source
Al Jazeera

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