Denmark’s top military commander in the Arctic has rejected claims that Greenland faces an imminent security threat from Russia or China.
Major General Søren Andersen, commander of the Danish Joint Command in the Arctic, based in Greenland, said, according to what was reported by the European magazine Politico on Saturday: “No, we do not see a threat today from China or Russia, but we are studying a possible threat, and this is what we are training for.”
Andersen, who has been leading the command since 2023, stressed that the escalation of Danish military activity around Greenland is not a response to an immediate danger, but rather in preparation for future scenarios.
Andersen’s statements contradict repeated American allegations that Greenland is under active pressure from Russia and China.
US President Donald Trump told reporters last Sunday: “In the meantime, there are Russian destroyers and submarines, and Chinese destroyers and submarines everywhere,” in the context of his efforts to annex Greenland to the United States.
He added: “We will not allow this to happen.”
Trump also said that Washington could not rule out the use of force to protect its interests, which raised concerns among Danish and Greenlandic leaders.
Andersen refused to comment directly on Trump’s statements, only emphasizing NATO unity and long-term cooperation with American forces stationed at the Petovik Space Base.
He also ruled out hypothetical scenarios related to a conflict between the allies, saying that he did not envision an attack by one NATO country on another.
Despite growing political tensions with Washington, Andersen confirmed that the United States was officially invited to participate in the exercises.
“I hope we also have American forces training alongside German, French, Canadian or any other force, because we should do it together,” he said.
