Denmark stated on Monday that it would spend 14.6 billion Danish crowns ($2.05 billion) to boost its military presence in the Arctic, following renewed interest by U.S. President Donald Trump in controlling Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory.
This month, Trump said Greenland is vital to U.S. security and Denmark must give up control of the strategically important Arctic Island.
Following more than a decade of drastic cuts in defence spending, last year Denmark allocated 190 billion Danish crowns ($26 billion) for its military over 10 years, part of which has now been allocated to the Arctic.
Denmark, while responsible for Greenland’s security and defence, has limited military capabilities on the vast island, widely regarded as a security black hole.
At present, Denmark’s capacities include four ageing inspection vessels, a Challenger surveillance plane and 12 dog sledge patrols, all tasked with monitoring an area four times the size of France.
The deal includes funding three new Arctic navy vessels doubling the number of planned long-range surveillance drones to four, as well as satellite surveillance, Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said at a press conference.
The political parties agreed to set aside more money for the Arctic in a deal that will be presented in the first half of the year.
The U.S. military has a permanent presence at the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, a strategic location for its ballistic missile early-warning system, as the shortest route from Europe to North America runs via the island.
Robert Brieger, the top military official of the European Union, stated in an interview with Germany’s Welt am Sonntag that it would be sensible to station troops from EU countries in Greenland. This suggestion comes in light of U.S. President Donald Trump‘s expressed interest in acquiring the Danish territory.
“In my view, it would make perfect sense not only to station U.S. forces in Greenland, as has been the case to date, but also to consider stationing EU soldiers there in the future,” the chairman of the European Union Military Committee said.
Ultimately, such a step would require a political decision, the Austrian-born general said. The military committee is the highest military office of the European Council, but it serves as a consultative body since the bloc has no dedicated army.
Team Bharatshakti
(With inputs from Reuters)