US President Donald Trump's intentions to take control of the semi-autonomous territory of Greenland from Denmark have frightened the latter, which is considering strengthening defenses in the Arctic.
Authorities in Copenhagen announced they would spend about $2 billion to bolster their military presence in the Arctic. After more than a decade of drastic cuts in military spending, Denmark last year announced a $26 billion budget for its military over a 10-year period, part of which would be allocated to the Arctic.
Although responsible for the security and defense of Greenland, Denmark has limited capabilities on the island, in what has been considered a security black hole. Currently, Danish capabilities to monitor an area four times the size of France include only four aging inspection ships, a Challenger surveillance aircraft and 12 patrol dogs, writes A2 CNN.
Under the new plan, the capabilities will be expanded by three new Arctic vessels, four long-range surveillance drones and surveillance satellites. The move follows Donald Trump's statements that Greenland is vital to US security and that Denmark should relinquish control of the strategically important island.
The US has a permanent presence at the Pituffik space base in northwestern Greenland, a strategic location for ballistic missile warning systems, writes A2 CNN. (A2 Televizion)
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