Denmark to boost Arctic defence by $4.26bn, plans to buy 16 new F-35s

The concern is the latest successful Denmark’s multibillion-dollar spending spree connected defence aft Donald Trump’s threats to get Greenland.

Denmark plans to walk astir 27.4 cardinal Danish kroner ($4.26bn) successful an effort to enactment up its defence capabilities successful the Arctic and stave disconnected threats made by United States President Donald Trump against the Danish semi-autonomous Greenland.

The monolithic currency injection successful defence volition screen the acquisition of 2 further Arctic vessels, a caller Arctic bid headquarters, a North Atlantic undersea cablegram and maritime patrol aircraft, the Danish Ministry of Defence said Friday.

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Denmark’s subject besides plans to get 16 further F-35 beforehand combatant jets, bringing its full fleet to 43 successful a determination that Chief of Defence Michael Hyldgaard called an “assertion of sovereignty”.

The caller jets, helium added, volition “significantly” boost “the combat power, flexibility and Danish publication to NATO”.

Denmark has embarked connected a fast-moving run to physique up its defence capabilities successful effect to some Russia’s warfare connected Ukraine and Trump’s repeated assertions that helium wants to get – 1 mode oregon different – Greenland, which was taxable to Danish regularisation for astir 3 centuries.

Last month, Denmark made its largest-ever arms acquisition of European-made aerial defence systems worthy 58 cardinal Danish kroner ($9.2bn), and separately announced a “paradigm shift” to get – for the archetypal clip – long-range missiles successful an effort to deter Russia.

Although Trump has not precocious returned to his repeated request earlier this twelvemonth to “buy” Greenland, Denmark has not forgotten Trump’s threats.

Earlier this week, quality outlet Politico reported that Danish President Mette Frederiksen told parliamentarians that portion “there is possibly a feeling that we tin respire a suspiration of alleviation … it is my content that we cannot”.

The White House has antecedently defended Trump’s position, saying the president sees Greenland arsenic “a strategically important location, and is assured Greenlanders would beryllium amended served if protected by the United States from modern threats successful the Arctic region”.

But Greenlandic leaders person roundly rejected the idea, with Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen telling the European Parliament connected Wednesday that the territory faces a “pivotal moment” amid geopolitical rivalries.

“Greenland needs the European Union, and the European Union needs Greenland,” helium said.

Scramble for the Arctic

The Arctic’s imaginable opportunities for strategical trade, vigor exploration and exploitation of uncommon world minerals – which are expected to summation arsenic clime alteration melts immense swaths of crystal – person made the portion the improbable centre of Russia-China-US rivalry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has built up Russia’s subject capabilities successful the Arctic successful what analysts accidental is partially an effort to make the Northern Sea Route, the shortest shipping pathway betwixt Europe and the Asia Pacific region.

Putin’s ambitions person stirred contention successful portion due to the fact that the way covers areas “expected to go progressively navigable” acknowledgment to clime alteration and widen acold beyond Russia’s existent territorial waters, the Atlantic Council has reported.

China has besides emerged arsenic Russia’s spouse connected respective Arctic infrastructure projects portion pursuing its ain interests, including deploying vessels to cod vast amounts of information successful pursuit of caller shipping routes and earthy resources.

In a study past year, the US Department of Defense cautioned that China and Russia “are collaborating successful the Arctic crossed aggregate instruments of nationalist power” and warned “their increasing alignment successful the portion is of concern” – a characterisation the duo both denounced.

Putin has besides said helium is unfastened to Western concern successful the Arctic.

“The stronger our positions volition beryllium … the broader opportunities we volition person to motorboat planetary projects successful the Arctic involving the countries that are affable to us, and, possibly, Western countries if they amusement involvement successful associated work,” helium said earlier this year.