Denmark launches $2 billion Arctic security plan, seeks EU unity on Greenland

An iceberg floats in the Scoresby Sund on September 7, 2023, in Greenland.

Denmark on Monday announced a $2 billion security plan for the Arctic ahead of a visit by the country's prime minister to Berlin, Paris and Brussels to shore up "European unity" on Greenland. The announcement came after US President Donald Trump said Greenland was needed for US "national security".

"We must face the fact that there are serious challenges regarding security and defence in the Arctic and North Atlantic," Denmark's Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in a statement.

His announcement came ahead of a visit by the country's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to Berlin, Paris and Brussels this week to shore up "European unity" on Greenland.

"Europe is facing a serious situation. With war on the continent and shifts in the geopolitical reality. In moments like this, unity is crucial," Frederiksen said in a statement.

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"Denmark is a small country with strong allies. And it is part of a strong European community where together we can meet the challenges we face," Frederiksen said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)


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