Denmark will bolster its Greenland defense with drones and dog sled patrols, according to Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
Following US President-elect Donald Trump’s assertion of American ownership and control over Greenland, Denmark announced a significant increase in Greenland’s defense budget, exceeding $1.5 billion. Poulsen, speaking to Jyllands-Posten, detailed the plan which includes funding for two patrol boats, two long-range drones, two sled dog teams, and airport upgrades to accommodate F-35 fighter jets. This investment, he stated, addresses years of insufficient Arctic defense spending.
This announcement comes just two days after Trump’s statement on Truth Social claiming that the US needs to own and control Greenland for national security.
Trump previously proposed purchasing Greenland during his first term, describing it as a real estate deal. Poulsen clarified that the increased spending was pre-planned, calling the timing coincidental.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Mute Egede, reacted angrily to Trump’s post, asserting Greenland’s sovereignty and rejecting any sale. He expressed openness to increased trade and cooperation with the US.
Greenland, which gained home rule in 1979, still relies on Denmark for defense and foreign policy. Its vast icy landscape, much of which lies above the Arctic Circle, hosts a significant US Space Force base, the northernmost American military installation.
Securing Greenland would substantially enhance US Arctic access, a region where Russia controls half the coastline. The Arctic holds significant strategic and sovereign importance for Russia.
The idea of the US acquiring Greenland has historical precedent; President Andrew Johnson explored the possibility in the 1860s, ultimately securing Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million.