Denmark excluded the United States from participating in a significant international military exercise in Greenland this week, a departure from prior practice, amidst persistent tensions over President Donald Trump’s stated intentions regarding the Danish territory.
This exercise, the largest in Greenland’s contemporary history, unfolds as interest in the Arctic region and its extensive natural resources escalates among other major global powers, such as Russia and China.
It featured contributions from the armed forces of several European NATO allies. Over 550 personnel and troops participated, with more than 70 originating from France, Germany, Norway, and Sweden.
While U.S. military observers were present, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth received an invitation, Denmark’s Arctic commander, Soren Andersen, confirmed that the United States’ military was not invited to take part in the training.
“We collaborate with personnel at the U.S. Pituffik Space Base, but their units were not extended an invitation for this exercise,” he stated. He further mentioned that the Danish military maintains “a highly positive relationship with the U.S. military.” Pituffik Space Base, situated in northwestern Greenland, represents the sole U.S. installation in the nation. The Danish military later indicated that Danish F-12 fighter jets paid a visit to the base, where their pilots met with the U.S. base’s deputy commander for coffee
The stated objective of the exercise was to enhance the operational preparedness of the armed forces belonging to both Denmark and Greenland, the latter being a semi-autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
This event unfolds as the Arctic region gains increasing significance for various global powers, both allies and adversaries. Greenland, recognized as the world’s largest non-continental island, offers not only strategic advantages but also abundant natural resources, containing 25 of the 34 minerals designated as “critical raw materials” by the European Commission. Among these minerals are those vital for manufacturing phones and computer chips.
Andersen highlighted the potential threats posed by Russia and China when speaking to reporters.
“It is reasonable to state that Russia has fortified its presence in the Arctic over the past two decades, establishing itself as a regional superpower in the area,” he remarked. “Furthermore, we observe unprecedented operations in the Bering Strait, between Alaska and Russia. We also see their collaboration with Chinese coast guard vessels, among other activities.”
Nevertheless, the exercise coincides with escalating tensions involving a supposed ally, the United States, given President Trump’s explicit intentions to acquire the island for the U.S.
“Greenland is essential for our national security, and indeed for international security,” Trump declared during a March address to Congress, citing the growing influence of other global powers in the Arctic, particularly Russia and China. “And I believe we will obtain it one way or another,” he appended. Trump is actively working to increase the domestic production of products reliant on minerals in the United States, which depend on minerals found in Greenland.
Danish authorities have unequivocally conveyed that Trump’s interest in the region is unwelcomed.
Reports in May indicated that the Director of National Intelligence had instructed U.S. intelligence operatives to intensify their collection of information concerning Greenland’s independence movement, an action the Trump Administration never publicly refuted.
Only last month, Denmark’s foreign minister summoned Mark Stroh, the U.S. charge d’affaires in Copenhagen, following a local news report alleging that certain members of Trump’s administration had initiated efforts in Greenland to compile a list of individuals prepared to join a secessionist movement from Denmark.
At that juncture, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen confirmed in a statement to TIME that he had met with Stroh, and affirmed that any nation’s attempts to “interfere” with the Kingdom of Denmark would be “unacceptable.”
A U.S. State Department official subsequently remarked after the encounter that the countries “reaffirmed” robust connections among Denmark, Greenland, and the U.S., adding that “the United States honors the right of the people of Greenland to decide their own future.”
