Denmark is beefing up defenses in Greenland after Trump reiterated his desire for US control

The Danish government announced a big increase in defense spending on Greenland, hours after US President-elect Donald Trump reiterated his desire to buy the Arctic territory.

Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said the package was worth “double-digit billions” in kroner, or at least $1.5 billion (£1.2 billion).

He called the timing of the announcement “an irony of fate.” Trump said on Monday that possession and control of the huge island is an “absolute necessity” for the US.

Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is home to a large US space facility and is strategically important to the US, lying on the shortest route from North America to Europe. Has large reserves of minerals.

Poulsen said the package would buy two new inspection ships, two new long-range drones and two additional dog sled teams.

It will also include funding to increase the staffing of the Arctic Command in the capital, Nuuk, and upgrade one of Greenland’s three main civilian airports to service F-35 supersonic fighter jets.

“For many years we have underinvested in the Arctic, now we are planning a stronger presence,” he said.

The Minister of Defense did not specify the exact figure of the package, but the Danish media estimated that it would amount to about 12-15 billion kroner.

The announcement came a day after Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social: “For the purposes of national security and freedom around the world, the United States of America believes possession and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”

Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede responded to Trump’s commentssaying “we are not for sale”.

But he added that Greenlanders should continue to be open to cooperation and trade, especially with their neighbors.

Analysts say the plan has been under discussion for a long time and should not be seen as a direct response to Trump’s comments.

So far, Denmark has been very slow to expand its military capabilities in Greenland, they say, but unless the country can protect the waters around the territory from encroachment by China and Russia, US demands for greater control are likely to increase.

Army Maj. Steen Kjergaard of the Danish Defense Academy suggests that Trump may have intended to force Denmark to take such a step.

“Perhaps this will be caused by Trump’s renewed focus on the need for air and sea control around Greenland and internal developments in Greenland, where some are expressing a desire to look towards the US – the new international airport in Nuuk has just been opened,” he told the BBC.

“I think Trump is smart … he’s forcing Denmark to prioritize military capabilities in the Arctic by raising its voice without having to take on a very un-American welfare system,” he added, referring to Greenland’s heavy reliance on subsidies from Copenhagen.

Trump’s initial proposal in 2019 for the US to purchase Greenland, the world’s largest island, drew a similarly sharp rebuke from leaders.

At the time, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the idea “absurd”, the host Trump cancels a state trip to the country.

He is not the first US president to offer to buy Greenland. The idea was first floated in the 1860s during the presidency of Andrew Johnson.