For Danish Army, the Threat to Greenland Isn’t Trump But Russia

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It’s a charge laughed off by Moscow. Putin addressed the proliferation of Western warnings about Russia’s intentions on Oct. 2 at the Valdai discussion club, dismissing them as “nonsense” and accusing Europe’s leaders of whipping up “hysteria.” 

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Yet there’s no denying that Russia is expanding its arsenal. In July, Putin lauded the addition to the navy of nine submarines in six years with four more latest-generation Borei-A class nuclear boats to be delivered in the coming years, armed with “cutting-edge weaponry.”

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The Borei, named after the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas, is constructed at the Sevmash yard near Archangel, across the White Sea from the Kola peninsula, home to Russia’s northern fleet and key to its Arctic presence.

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Defending the Arctic “is crucial for our security,” North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Mark Rutte said Oct. 13. Recent drone incidents on Danish soil, which officials linked to Russia, further underscore how Nordic nation Denmark, a strong supporter of Ukraine, is itself a target, with consequences for all of its territory.

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Yet the question of Greenland’s defense has exposed a rift with Washington.

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To President Donald Trump, the island is so vital to US security he’s suggested taking control of it, frustrated by what he sees as Denmark’s chronic underinvestment. While European leaders rallied behind Copenhagen, Trump’s remarks have awakened Denmark, Greenland and NATO to the fact the region demands far greater attention — and resources. Still, Danish military officials say defense cooperation with the US in Greenland remains strong and hasn’t changed since Trump took office.

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“We know that there is increased focus on us and the Arctic, and that obliges us to do more,” Greenland’s premier, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said in early October.

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The day after Trump revived talk of buying Greenland in December, Denmark’s government proposed more Arctic defense spending, with lawmakers since agreeing to invest an additional 42 billion kroner ($6.5 billion) in the military in the region. The geographic focus has also shifted east, to expanding special forces units patrolling the northeastern part of the island, establishing a nuclear monitoring station and air warning radar in East Greenland, and funding new surveillance drones.

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Denmark was joined by France, Germany, Sweden and Norway in the drills rehearsing the defense of NATO’s northern flank. 

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Off Nuuk in southern Greenland, helicopters thundered overhead as Danish soldiers and dogs in special harnesses slid down ropes onto the deck of a frigate seized by mock adversaries in a simulated hijacking at sea. Reinforcements raced in by boat soon after, and the enemy was subdued.

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Days later, in the mountains around Kangerlussuaq, the sound of gunfire echoed off the slopes as French and Danish infantry rehearsed direct confrontations, while F-16s roared through the air, practicing mid-air refueling. In the same rugged terrain, Swedish and Norwegian home guard units trained for the defense of the airport, sending drones ahead to scout the area before advancing.

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Greenland has historically been an important military outpost during times of conflict. During World War II, the US established bases and weather stations that proved vital for Allied operations, and in the Cold War it expanded its footprint to more than a dozen installations. Pituffik in the northwest hosted as many as 15,000 troops along with long-range bombers and early-warning systems. Today, it’s staffed by fewer than 200 personnel, but remains a strategic vantage point for detecting missile launches.