Denmark to deploy conscripts to Greenland for first time amid Arctic security risks

Denmark has accelerated steps to bolster its military capacity, citing security risks in the Arctic region stemming from the US and Russia, alongside the environment created by the war in Ukraine.

According to Reuters, the country has conscripted approximately 1,600 new recruits for an 11-month term of service under its updated conscription regulations.

The new service term coincides with preparations to deploy conscripted soldiers to Greenland for the first time in Danish history.

Under the plan, more than 100 conscripts will assume operational duties from professional military personnel stationed in Greenland.

The newly conscripted soldiers will undergo five months of basic training, followed by six months of operational service.

Conscription in Denmark is conducted through a lottery system involving all 18-year-old men who meet medical fitness criteria.

However, the Danish armed forces rely primarily on volunteers for their military personnel.

Under a policy decision adopted in 2024, the Danish government extended the military service period from four months to 11 months and expanded mandatory conscription to include women for the first time.

According to Reuters, Copenhagen aims to increase its annual intake of recruits from 5,000 to 7,500 by 2033.

In addition to Denmark, mandatory military service is enforced in regional neighbors Sweden, Finland, and Norway, as well as the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Military planning regarding Greenland took shape following statements by US President Donald Trump concerning the island. Trump’s remarks advocating the annexation of the island were rejected by the governments in Copenhagen and Nuuk.

Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declared that her country was prepared to defend every inch of the alliance, “including its own territory.”

Trump’s rhetoric regarding Greenland intensified once again during the winter months of this year.

Arguing that Denmark was unable to secure Greenland—an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark—Trump asserted that the island was essential to US national defense.

Trump further claimed that the island was surrounded by Russian and Chinese vessels.

In statements made in May, US Ambassador to Copenhagen Kenneth Howery reported that the US president had abandoned the concept of seizing the island through military force.

However, Trump reiterated his demand for the island in July, stating that Washington required Greenland.

Trump later claimed that Greenland could come under US control by January 2029, marking the end of his second presidential term.

Meanwhile, Commander of Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command in Greenland Søren Andersen stated in January that the Danish military presence on the island was focused not on a potential military threat from the US, but on possible Russian activities.

Andersen added that the long-term objective of the mission carried out by European NATO allies in Greenland was to “keep Russia at bay.”

The NATO mission referenced by Andersen, named “Arctic Sentinel,” aims to reinforce the alliance’s military presence in the Arctic region, expand maritime patrols, and counter Russian and Chinese activities in the area. The permanent operation was officially announced on February 11, 2026, when it was initiated.