ReutersThe Danish authorities has introduced an enormous increase in defence spending for Greenland, hours after US President-elect Donald Trump repeated his want to buy the Arctic territory.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen mentioned the package deal was a “double digit billion amount” in krone, or a minimum of $1.5bn (£1.2bn).
He described the timing of the announcement as an “irony of fate”. On Monday Trump mentioned possession and management of the massive island was an “absolute necessity” for the US.
Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, is dwelling to a big US house facility and is strategically necessary for the US, mendacity on its shortest path to Europe. It has main mineral and oil reserves.
Poulsen mentioned the package deal would permit for the acquisition of two new inspection ships, two new long-range drones and two additional canine sled groups.
It could additionally embody funding for elevated staffing at Arctic Command within the capital Nuuk and an improve for one among Greenland’s three predominant civilian airports to deal with F-35 supersonic fighter plane.
“We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years, now we are planning a stronger presence,” he mentioned.
The defence minister didn’t give a precise determine for the package deal, however Danish media estimated it will be round 12-15bn krone.
The announcement got here a day after Trump mentioned on his social media platform Reality Social: “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Mute Egede responded to Trump’s feedback, saying “we are not for sale”.
However he added that Greenlanders ought to proceed to be open for cooperation and commerce, particularly with their neighbours.
Analysts say that the plan has been underneath dialogue for a very long time and shouldn’t be seen as a direct response to Trump’s feedback.
Till now Denmark has been very gradual to develop its army capability in Greenland, they are saying, but when the nation shouldn’t be capable of defend waters across the territory towards encroachments by China and Russia then US calls for for higher management are prone to develop.
Military Maj Steen Kjaergaard of the Danish Defence Academy suggests it might have been Trump’s intention to strain Denmark into such a transfer.
“It is likely to be sparked by the renewed Trump focus on the need for air and maritime control around Greenland and the internal developments in Greenland where some are voicing a will to look towards the US – a new international airport in Nuuk was just inaugurated,” he advised the BBC.
“I think Trump is smart… he gets Denmark to prioritise its Arctic military capabilities by raising this voice, without having to take over a very un-American welfare system,” he mentioned, referring to Greenland’s heavy dependence on subsidies from Copenhagen.
Trump’s unique suggestion in 2019 that the US purchase Greenland, which is the world’s largest island, led to a equally sharp rebuke from leaders there.
On the time Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederickson described the concept as “absurd”, main Trump to cancel a state journey to the nation.
He isn’t the primary US president to counsel shopping for Greenland. The concept was first mooted in the course of the 1860s underneath the presidency of Andrew Johnson.
