Denmark deploys troops to Greenland as US hints at use of force to take Arctic territory
Denmark has deployed conscripts to Greenland as part of a military exercise aimed at strengthening its Arctic defenses, following repeated threats by US President Donald Trump to occupy the territory.
Copenhagen sent its first group of conscripts to Greenland under an expanded military service program as Denmark seeks to bolster its military presence in the Arctic.
The Danish troops are participating in Arctic Endurance, an exercise designed to train soldiers to operate and survive in Greenland’s harsh terrain and extreme cold.
The exercise is also part of NATO’s Arctic Sentry Mission, launched this year to strengthen the alliance’s presence in the Arctic following tensions over Trump’s demands.
"It shows presence that we are here and not just thinking of our own skin. And also thinking of the people in Greenland," one of the conscripts told Reuters.
Copenhagen has pledged billions of dollars to strengthen Arctic defenses after Denmark's Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen acknowledged years of underinvestment in the region.
"Of course, we are a part of a bigger picture of the strategic communication about Greenland, but our role here is just to continue the training of the conscripts, the soldiers, and get more experience with the training in the Arctic terrain and climate," company commander Captain Laura Jepsen said.
Russia has condemned NATO’s growing military activity in the Arctic, describing the alliance’s moves as a direct security threat that could increase the risk of confrontation.
Trump has repeatedly called for US seizure of Greenland, while Denmark and Greenland have firmly rejected his bizarre bullying.
Trump intensified his demands on December 22, 2025, when he appointed Louisiana Governor Jeffrey Martin Landry as a special envoy for Greenland and said the US “has to have” the territory.
On January 7, 2026, the White House said the acquisition of Greenland remain under discussion and did not rule out the possible use of US military force to take over the territory.
The dispute took an economic turn in July when drilling equipment linked to Greenland Energy, a Texas-based oil company with ties to Trump allies, was brought ashore in eastern Greenland without the required government approval.
Greenland issued a “strong warning” on August 8, saying the company had not received approval to begin drilling, while authorities later forced it to postpone the project until at least winter 2027.
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