Denmark's Arctic commander says U.S. takeover of Greenland not a concern but urges deterrence against Russia

Denmark’s Arctic chief has dismissed concerns over a U.S. takeover of Greenland but says more must be done to deter any Russian attack on the strategically vital Arctic island.

The head of Denmark's Joint Arctic Command, Soren Andersen, said the idea of the United States taking over Greenland was "absolutely not on my mind" following recent talks with U.S. General Gregory Guillot, who oversees U.S. defence of the area. Andersen spoke to Reuters in an interview after his meeting with Guillot, marking his first detailed comments since the discussion.

"I sleep perfectly well at night," Andersen said, emphasising that military cooperation between Denmark and the U.S. remained strong.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested acquiring Greenland, a vast semi-autonomous Danish territory located on the shortest route between North America and Europe. Greenland is critical for the U.S. ballistic missile warning system. Trump has not ruled out taking the territory by force, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recently declined to deny that contingency plans exist.

Andersen, however, said his focus was elsewhere. “Militarily, we work together, as we always have,” he added.

During General Guillot’s visit to Greenland on June 19-20, he toured the U.S. Pituffik Space Base, marking his first visit since Greenland oversight shifted from U.S. European Command to Northern Command.

The visit coincided with Danish military exercises on Greenland, involving one of its largest military deployments since the Cold War. Denmark deployed a frigate, F-16 fighter jets, special forces, extra troops, and increased surveillance around critical infrastructure as part of the exercises, which will end next week.

Andersen said the exercises were necessary to ensure Greenland’s security. "To keep this area conflict-free, we have to do more, we need to have a credible deterrent," he said. "If Russia starts to change its behaviour around Greenland, I have to be able to act on it."

While U.S. concerns have focused on potential Russian and Chinese incursions, Andersen said the threat level to Greenland had not increased this year. “We don’t see Russian or Chinese state ships up here,” he stated.

Denmark's permanent presence in Greenland includes four ageing inspection vessels, a small surveillance aircraft, and dog sled patrols monitoring an area four times the size of France. Previously focused on civilian tasks such as search and rescue and fishing inspection, the Joint Arctic Command is now shifting towards territorial defence, Andersen noted.

"In reality, Greenland is not that difficult to defend," he said. "Relatively few points need defending, and of course, we have a plan for that. NATO has a plan for that."

The Danish government pledged over $2 billion in January to strengthen Arctic defence capabilities, including new Arctic navy vessels, long-range drones, and satellite coverage. France has offered to deploy troops to Greenland, and the EU’s top military official has suggested stationing EU forces on the island.

Despite these measures, Greenland’s geography remains a natural deterrent. With around 20,000 people living in the capital Nuuk and the remaining population spread across 71 towns, mostly along the west coast, the island’s limited infrastructure restricts operational feasibility for foreign forces.

"If, for example, there were to be a Russian naval landing on the east coast, I think it wouldn't be long before such a military operation would turn into a rescue mission," Andersen said.

He added that Denmark aims to repeat the recent military exercises in the coming months to reinforce its readiness and maintain Greenland as a secure and stable part of the Arctic.

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