Denmark proposes to deploy military to Greenland

Denmark could deploy 100 armed soldiers to Greenland and introduce mandatory military service on the island to ensure the kingdom’s security.

This proposal was made on April 17 by Alex Arendtsen, a representative of the Danish People’s Party on defense issues.

“We need to send a signal that we are defending the kingdom. It is also necessary to involve the Greenlanders to take on a great responsibility and help protect the kingdom,” he said.

According to Arendtsen, the military should also have anti-ship missiles in its arsenal.

According to the party representative’s idea, all men and women who permanently reside in Greenland can enlist in the military, but they are not obliged to do so by force.

“We are a commonwealth. Everyone has to contribute to the defense of the kingdom. In the long term, this should also apply to the Faroe Islands,” he said.

On April 14, Lars Lekke Rasmussen, the Danish Foreign Minister, stated that Denmark could terminate the defense cooperation agreement with the United States if Washington were to withdraw its membership in NATO.

Rasmussen also called the US and Denmark’s membership in NATO a key condition for the agreement between the countries and pointed out that there are no signs that the US will leave the alliance.

Last December, US President Donald Trump claimed that for the United States, owning and controlling Greenland is an absolute necessity.

Previously, he had expressed interest in purchasing the island from Denmark in 2019, but his offer was rejected.

In 2025, Trump was also told that the island was not for sale and would not be, but that Denmark could cooperate more with the United States.

On March 30, the new Prime Minister of Greenland, Jens-Fredrik Nielsen, stated unequivocally that the United States would not acquire the island. According to him, “it was the case yesterday, it is the same today, and it will be such in the future.”