Denmark Increasing Military Spending Amid Trump Greenland Acquisition Talk

Denmark this week announced a $2 billion security package for Greenland, making another large commitment to the defense of the Arctic nation as President Trump repeatedly calls to acquire the island.

The Ministry of Defense said in a Monday release that three new Arctic ships and more long-range drones are included in the first part of an agreement it has with the territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, both of which Denmark is responsible for on security matters.

A second part of the deal will be concluded in the first half of this year, according to the officials.

Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen said they are "facing serious security policy challenges" in the region.

"The Danish Defence Intelligence Service assesses that the threat level in the Arctic and the North Atlantic has worsened," Poulsen said in a statement. "We must therefore significantly strengthen the Danish Defence's presence in the regions."

Monday's agreement includes improvements for satellite capacity and ground-based sensors and spurs education in Greenland for young people to learn more about security issues.

Denmark also announced a $1.5 billion package for Greenland in December, shortly after Trump first made his comments about acquiring the Arctic island, though Copenhagen insisted the funds had already been planned.

Trump has continued to assert that Greenland is vital for national defense and that Denmark could come around to selling it. And earlier this month he did not rule out seizing the world's largest island with military force.

Greenland is considered a strategic country in the Arctic, which is becoming more contested as climate change melts ice and opens up new sea paths. The island also has rare earth minerals.

But both Denmark and Greenland have contended that the country is not for sale, and even Republicans have questioned Trump's call to acquire the territory.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.) issued a joint statement on Monday with Danish member of Parliament Aaja Chemnitz that said "the future will be defined by partnership, not ownership."

"To ensure our alliance reaches its full potential, Americans must view Greenland as an ally, not an asset," they wrote. "Open for business, but not for sale."

Vivian Motzfeldt, Greenland's minister of independence and foreign affairs, said in a statement the country looks forward to working with the Danish government on security.

"Greenland is entering a time of changing threat landscape," Motzfeldt said. "I am pleased that with this partial agreement we have taken the first step towards strengthening security in and around Greenland."