DENMARK’s Joint Arctic Command is focused on monitoring and deterring potential Russian activity in the High North and is not preparing for any military threat from the United States, its commander has said, amid renewed international attention on Greenland’s strategic importance.
“My focus is not toward the U.S., not at all. My focus is on Russia,” Major General Soren Andersen told Reuters during an interview on board a Danish warship in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.
His remarks come as Donald Trump has repeatedly described Greenland as vital to US national security and has declined to rule out the use of force to take control of the vast, mineral-rich Arctic island, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
Andersen dismissed suggestions that tensions could escalate into conflict between NATO allies, calling such a scenario unrealistic. “I don't see a NATO ally attacking another NATO ally,” he said.
Referring to Denmark’s military planning, he added: “We work on those, but it's a normal thing for us to do. My task is to work up here for the defence of the kingdom together with NATO.”
In response to heightened US concerns and growing focus on the Arctic, several European nations this week dispatched small numbers of military personnel to Greenland ahead of the NATO Arctic Endurance exercise, which is designed to test allied forces in extreme winter conditions.
The United States has been invited to take part in the exercise, a change from last September, when Denmark did not extend a similar invitation. “We had a meeting today with a lot of NATO partners, including the U.S., and invited them to participate in this exercise,” Andersen said, adding that it was not yet clear whether American forces would join.
Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command is responsible for defence and security around Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Its duties include surveillance, search and rescue, and the monitoring of maritime and airspace activity using patrol vessels, aircraft, helicopters and satellite systems. The command also operates the Sirius dog-sled patrol, which conducts long-range missions across remote Arctic terrain.
Andersen said there were currently no Chinese or Russian naval vessels operating close to Greenland, although he noted that a Russian research ship was present some 310 nautical miles away. “That's the closest one,” he said, adding that NATO allies maintain “a good picture of the situation up here”.
Looking ahead, Andersen warned that Moscow’s presence in the Arctic is likely to grow. “We actually expect an increase in Russian activities in the coming years, and... we have to start training and increase the presence here in the Arctic to protect NATO's northern border,” he said.
Denmark announced an Arctic defence package worth 42 billion Danish crowns, or about $6.54 billion, in 2022, citing rising security concerns in the region.
Despite political tensions, Andersen stressed that military cooperation with the United States remains close and routine. He said he had recently met the commander of US Northern Command, the head of Alaska Command, and held talks at the US Pituffik base in Greenland, with further meetings planned later this month. - January 17, 2026
