Copenhagen boosting defence spending and speaking with allies because it resists US demand for the strategic island.
Denmark has unveiled plans to spice up its navy presence within the Arctic and North Atlantic area.
Copenhagen introduced on Monday that it’s going to pump an extra 14.6 billion Danish crowns ($2.05bn) into safety. The announcement got here because the European nation resists calls for from United States President Donald Trump at hand over management of Greenland.
“There are critical challenges concerning safety and defence within the Arctic and North Atlantic,” Denmark’s Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen mentioned in an announcement.
His announcement got here as Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen prepares to fulfill the leaders of France, Germany and NATO this week to shore up “European unity” on Greenland.
“Europe is going through a critical scenario. With battle on the continent and shifts within the geopolitical actuality. In moments like this, unity is essential,” Frederiksen mentioned in an announcement.
“Denmark is a small nation with sturdy allies. And it’s a part of a powerful European group the place collectively we are able to meet the challenges we face,” Frederiksen mentioned.
Prized goal
The Danish semi-autonomous territory of Greenland, which boasts important mineral sources, has grow to be a prized goal, with melting ice within the Arctic opening up new delivery routes and boosting its strategic worth.
Earlier this month, Trump mentioned Greenland is significant to US safety and Denmark should surrender management.
The US navy has a everlasting presence on the Pituffik House Base in northwestern Greenland, a strategic location for its ballistic missile early-warning system, because the shortest route from Europe to North America runs by way of the island.
Denmark, whereas accountable for Greenland’s safety and defence, has restricted navy capabilities on the huge island, extensively thought to be a safety black gap.
Shut cooperation
As a part of the package deal, Denmark will get three new ships within the Arctic waters round Greenland, extra long-range drones and elevated satellite tv for pc capability.
At current, Denmark’s capacities embody 4 ageing inspection vessels, a Challenger surveillance aircraft and 12 canine sledge patrols, all tasked with monitoring an space 4 instances the dimensions of France.
Following greater than a decade of drastic cuts in defence spending, final yr Denmark allotted 190 billion Danish crowns ($26bn) for its navy over a 10-year span, a part of which has now been allotted to the Arctic.
The Ministry of Defence in Copenhagen mentioned the federal government has agreed on the brand new package deal with a broad majority of parliamentary events and in shut cooperation with the governments of the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
The three governments have additionally agreed to barter a second settlement on deterrence and defence by the summer time.
