The Danish army in Greenland is focused on countering possible Russian activity, not on defending against military threats from the United States, Major General Soren Andersen, head of the Danish Arctic Command in Greenland, told Reuters in an interview.
“My focus is not on the United States - not at all. My focus is on Russia,” Andersen said.
He said there were no Chinese or Russian ships near Greenland, although he noted that a Russian research vessel was 310 nautical miles (574.12 km) away. "This is the closest we've come," the military officer said, adding that NATO allies "have a good understanding of the situation here."
According to Andersen, allies expect increased Russian activity around Greenland in the coming years. "We need to start preparing and increase our presence here in the Arctic to protect NATO's northern border," Andersen stressed.
He dismissed the possibility of conflict between NATO partners and stressed that Denmark is acting in close coordination with the alliance. Andersen also said that cooperation with the US military remains regular.
In an interview with CNN, Andersen said that the long-term goal of the European NATO allies' mission in Greenland is to "keep Russia out of it."
Greenland is essential to US national security, President Donald Trump reiterated on January 14. He stressed that NATO should lead the process of annexing the island. According to Trump, Denmark has no way to protect Greenland from Russian and Chinese submarines stationed around it. Diplomats attending the NATO meeting denied the presence of such submarines near the island, the Financial Times reported.
On January 15, soldiers from the European NATO member states of Denmark and France arrived in Greenland as part of Operation Arctic Resilience, a reconnaissance mission amid US claims to the island. Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and the Netherlands have also announced their participation in the maneuvers.