Denmark Deploys Troops and Military Equipment to Greenland Amid Rising Arctic Tensions

Denmark has begun deploying military equipment and advanced troops to Greenland, responding to the island’s growing strategic importance and renewed US rhetoric, Danish media report. An advance command has already arrived to prepare logistics and infrastructure for the potential arrival of larger Danish and allied forces, local broadcaster DR reported on Wednesday.

The advance unit’s responsibilities include ensuring that facilities and supply lines are ready to support main forces in the near future. Reinforcements are expected to include soldiers from Danish Army units, aimed at strengthening the Danish Armed Forces’ presence on the island. However, much of Denmark’s remaining combat capability is currently committed to NATO operations in the Baltic states.

According to a spokesperson from the Danish leftist party Enhedslisten, international troops are also expected to join the Danish forces. “This is something we have been requesting over the past week. It is a wise move. Troops from other European countries are also on their way to Greenland, and it is the right signal to send to any great power that might get the bad idea of attacking Greenland,” he told DR.

Greenland, a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, has attracted US interest due to its strategic location and vast mineral resources. Both Denmark and Greenland have rejected proposals to sell the territory, reaffirming Danish sovereignty. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen confirmed plans for a stronger and more permanent military presence on the island, noting that other countries will also participate, similar to exercises held in 2025.

The deployment comes amid US calls for acquiring Greenland, with President Donald Trump stating that controlling the island is an “absolute necessity” for US economic security and citing the need to prevent Russia or China from gaining influence in the Arctic.