Home Customer Service Stay Connected Read today’s Edition Miami-Dade Favorites News Sports Politics Business Living & Entertainment Opinion Obituaries Video Featured Miami.com Detour Travel Florida Keys News El Nuevo Herald Miami-Dade Favorites Guides Shopping/Reviews Deals & Offers Careers & Education Banking Legal Services Coupons Special Features Press Releases Sponsored Content Classifieds Place an Ad – Celebrations Search Jobs Search Legal Notices Advertising $1.99/6mo WELCOME OFFER CLAIM WORLD Denmark Gives Military $2-Billion Boost Amid Greenland Threat By Flynn Nicholls Newsweek World Updated January 29, 2025 10:39 AM Danish Navy Greenland. A file photo of a Danish Navy patrol ship in the sea inlet leading to Nuuk, Greenland, July 20, 2022. Nigel Jarvis/Getty Images Denmark has announced a 14.6-billion kroner ($2.05-billion) investment to strengthen security in Greenland and the Arctic. The the island. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said, “We must face the fact that there are serious challenges regarding security and defense in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

Why It Matters Greenland’s strategic location in the Arctic Ocean will most certainly place the island at the center of expanding regional competition, making it critical to avoid potential future Russian invasion. The island is also rich in natural resources, notably rare earth metals, and is located in the center of two prospective shipping routes through the Arctic, which might shorten shipping schedules and avoid the Suez and Panama Canals when sea ice melts in the north.

Trump’s repeated remarks that the United States should own Greenland, despite significant resistance from Denmark and Greenland’s government, have raised concerns about future aggression. What to Know Denmark’s $2 billion investment includes the acquisition of three new Arctic ships, more long-range drones with better imaging capabilities, and increased satellite capacity. The deal, which includes the Arctic and North Atlantic regions, was negotiated with the governments of Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. In December, Trump stated that buying Greenland is “an absolute necessity” for US securities

I believe we will succeed (…) and that the people want to be with us.” When asked if he could rule out employing force, Trump said no. Instead, he argued that Denmark had no legitimate claim to the island, saying, “It would be a very unfriendly act if they [Denmark] didn’t allow that to happen.” According to a recent poll conducted by pollster Verian on behalf of the Danish newspaper Berlingske and the Greenlandic daily Sermitsiaq, only 6% of Greenlanders want their island joining the United States, with 85% opposed and 9% unsure.

The poll was based on web interviews conducted between January 22 and 27 with 497 Greenlandic individuals over the age of 18. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Múte Egede, stated in a Facebook post that Greenland belongs to its people. Our future and fight for independence are our business, and we should not be distracted by panic and external demands.” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told reporters during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, “This is a very, very clear message (…) that of course there must be respect for territory and state sovereignty.”

In a news conference earlier in January, US President Donald Trump stated, “We need Greenland for national security purposes.” I’d heard that for a long time, long before I ran. “I mean, people have been discussing it for a long time.”You have about 45,000 people there. People don’t even know if Denmark has a legal claim to it, but if they do, they should give it up since we need it for national security.” What Happens Next? The governments of Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland have agreed to negotiate a second agreement on this topic in the first half of 2025.