For the Danish military personnel stationed in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, the situation has shifted from theoretical to deeply serious. Under Danish law, they are required to respond immediately to any invasion regardless of who the aggressor is or how overwhelming the force may be.
At the center of this responsibility is the Joint Arctic Command, headquartered in a modest blue building in Nuuk. It’s not a heavily fortified base and, on its own, would hardly deter a major military power. Yet its symbolic and strategic importance has grown dramatically in recent months.
That shift began in January 2025, when Donald Trump openly floated the idea of taking control of Greenland. In response, Denmark announced a major £3.5 billion expansion of its Arctic defenses. The plan includes the construction of a new, modern command headquarters in Nuuk designed to monitor and respond to emerging threats across the Arctic region.
In an ironic twist, Denmark is also moving forward with a deal to purchase 16 additional F-35 fighter jets from the United States, bringing its total fleet to 43. This comes despite Trump’s increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Danish sovereignty over Greenland. Rather than being deterred by Denmark’s investment, Trump publicly mocked the expansion, claiming it would amount to little more than “a single dog sled.”
Months before Trump suggested the possible use of force, Denmark’s Defense Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, emphasized that the agreement was meant to significantly strengthen Denmark’s military capabilities in the Arctic. That region is strategically vital, sitting at the crossroads of North America, Europe, and Russia, and is becoming more contested as climate change opens new shipping lanes and access to resources.
The defense package was developed in close coordination with the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands. It includes plans to acquire two new Arctic-capable naval vessels, maritime patrol aircraft, advanced drones, and early-warning radar systems to improve surveillance and response times.
What makes the situation especially stark for troops in Nuuk is a long-standing directive dating back to 1952. Under this rule, Danish soldiers are obligated to engage immediately if Danish territory is invaded, without waiting for orders from Copenhagen.
According to one military source, this duty is well understood among personnel: if an invasion occurs, they are expected to open fire whether the invading force is American or anyone else. While such a scenario once seemed unthinkable, many within the armed forces now acknowledge that global politics are changing at an alarming pace.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has been blunt about the stakes. She recently warned that any military attempt to seize Greenland an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark would effectively signal the collapse of NATO itself.
Trump, meanwhile, has tried to justify his claims by alleging that Greenland is surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships. While Danish and Norwegian defense officials have repeatedly expressed concern over increased Russian naval activity in the Arctic, they firmly deny any evidence of Chinese warships operating near their waters.
The gap between rhetoric and reality has only heightened tensions, leaving Denmark, Greenland, and NATO facing a future that feels far less stable than it did just a few years ago.
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