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Denmark Boosts Arctic Military Presence With $2.05 Billion Investment Amid U.S. Interest in Greenland

Jan 27, 2025, 09:39 PM

Denmark has announced plans to invest 14.6 billion Danish kroner ($2.05 billion) to enhance its military presence in the Arctic region, following renewed interest from U.S. President Donald Trump in controlling Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory. The investment will fund three new Arctic navy vessels, increase the number of long-range surveillance drones, and enhance satellite surveillance capabilities. This move comes after Trump declared Greenland vital to U.S. security and urged Denmark to relinquish control of the strategically important island. Denmark's limited military capabilities in Greenland currently include four aging inspection vessels, a Challenger surveillance plane, and 12 dog sled patrols, tasked with monitoring an area four times the size of France. The U.S. maintains a permanent military presence at the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, which is crucial for its ballistic missile early-warning system. Denmark's Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenland's Minister for Independence and Foreign Affairs Vivian Motzfeldt presented the defense agreement. This investment is part of a larger military spending plan of 190 billion kroner over a 10-year span.