Denmark has launched its largest-ever military exercise in Greenland, involving more than 550 European NATO troops, while excluding U.S. forces amid rising tensions over American interest in the Arctic territory.
According to the Danish military’s news release, the Arctic Light 2025 exercise includes personnel from France, Germany, Sweden and Norway.
Training has covered naval boarding operations, air defense maneuvers, and live-fire drills by Danish F-16 jets.
Denmark’s Arctic commander, Soren Andersen, confirmed that although U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been invited, no U.S. military units were asked to participate.
“We work together with colleagues on the U.S. Pituffik Space Base, but they were not invited with units for this exercise,” Andersen told Reuters.
The exercise follows tensions over President Donald Trump’s statements that the United States should gain control of Greenland, citing its minerals as critical to U.S. industry.
Reports of covert American influence operations in Greenland prompted Denmark’s foreign minister to summon the U.S. chargé d’affaires last month.
Andersen said the exercise intends to show that Denmark and its allies are “protecting the Kingdom of Denmark.”
He added, however, that he does not see an immediate threat to the country: “I don’t think Greenland faces any immediate threat,” Andersen said. “We see Russian activity in the Arctic Ocean and the Bering Strait between Alaska and Russia, but not here,” he added.
