Denmark's Arctic commander prioritizes Russian threat over US concerns

NUUK, Jan 15 — Denmark's Joint Arctic Command is focused on countering potential Russian activity, not defending against US military threats, its commander said, amid NATO exercises and increased defence spending in Greenland.

Major General Soren Andersen stated his focus is squarely on Russia, not the United States, as European nations dispatched small military contingents to Greenland this week ahead of the Arctic Endurance NATO exercise.

"My focus is not toward the US, not at all. My focus is on Russia," Andersen told Reuters aboard a Danish warship in Nuuk, Greenland's capital.

He dismissed suggestions of conflict between NATO allies as a "hypothetical" scenario, saying, "I don't see a NATO ally attacking another NATO ally."

The Arctic Command has invited the US to participate in this year's winter-condition exercise, unlike a similar event last September, but Andersen noted he did not yet know if the US would join.

Andersen said there were currently no Chinese or Russian ships near Greenland, with the closest Russian research vessel 310 nautical miles away, but he expects an increase in Russian activities in the coming years.

"We have to start training and increase the presence here in the Arctic to protect NATO's northern border," Andersen stated.

Denmark allocated an Arctic defence package of 42 billion Danish crowns (USD 6.54 billion) in 2022 in response to rising security concerns.

The command conducts surveillance and search-and-rescue missions around Greenland and the Faroe Islands, utilising patrol vessels, aircraft, helicopters, satellite technology, and the Sirius dog-sled patrol for long-range operations.

Andersen emphasised that collaboration with US military personnel remains frequent and ongoing, having recently met with US Northern Command and Alaska Command leaders at the US Pituffik base in Greenland.