Due to climate change, the Arctic region is now a crucial geopolitical area. Its ice sheets are melting, opening new strategic shipping lanes and potentially exposing a wealth of energy and rare earth mineral resources. Countries such as Russia, China, the US, and Denmark are increasing their military spending to secure the region, as the Arctic is quickly becoming a contested territory.
Geopolitical Rivalry in the Arctic
With Putin in office, Russia’s expansion of military power has been focused on seizing control of the Northern Sea Route, the world’s shortest shipping strait between Europe and the Asia-Pacific. Positioning icebreakers, military bases, and monitoring systems in the area, and thus the resources, has become a priority for Russian strategic geopolitical power. While Putin has been extending the hand of potential partnership to the West and other countries on Arctic development partnership treaties, the Russian geopolitical attention of the last years has been on the consolidation of Arctic power.
Russia views China as a close partner in the Arctic, collaborating on major infrastructure efforts, while China sails and maps resource routes on its own through the Arctic, which it refers to as its “Polar Silk Road.” China and Russia’s cooperation in the Arctic has drawn the concern of the US Department of Defense, which views this conjunction as a probable alteration in the Arctic balance of power.
The US has made considerable efforts to secure the Arctic. This is indicated by the Pitik Space Base in northern Greenland, which provides the US with strategic oversight of the region and serves as a critical early warning site for ballistic missiles. The US has, rather famously, sought to purchase Greenland, a Danish territory, which reflects the issues at stake in American defense and geopolitical strategy in the Arctic.
Denmark’s $4.26 Billion Arctic Defense Boost
Under intensified geopolitical circumstances and pressure from the US, Denmark has begun extensive military buildup activities. In April 2025, Denmark pledged around 27.4 billion Danish kroner ($4.26 billion) to Arctic Defense. The plans consist of
- Before 2025, Denmark will build 2 more Arctic patrol vessels. These patrol vessels will be constructed to fulfill Denmark’s ice and extended Arctic maritime surveillance.
- Before 2025, Denmark will construct a new Command Arctic Joint HQ in Nuuk, Greenland. The new HQ will contain the necessary assets for planning and executing a command presence.
- Before 2025, Denmark will procure new maritime patrol aircraft and invest in drones and early warning systems. These assets will contribute to the defense of Denmark in the Arctic.
- Before 2025, the Undersea North Atlantic Cable will be constructed. President Legault of Greenland and Denmark’s president will have secure, structured communication.
The 2023 Joint Defense Agreement’s under 75 US F-35s will have state-of-the-art command and control and Halifax tactical command on enemy targets in Greenland’s North Atlantic Ocean. These will enhance Denmark’s NATO joint defense to strengthen Danish SOF.
This investment builds on Denmark’s previous record of $9.2 billion procurement of European-made air defense systems and marks a shift in Denmark’s focus to acquiring long-range missile capabilities. This expansion of Denmark’s air defense system is aimed at deterring Russian aggression and securing Denmark, Greenland, and the North Atlantic region from a range of threats.
Coordinated Efforts and Strategic Importance
Denmark’s upgraded military program has been developed in close consultation with the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, demonstrating Denmark’s unified defense posture across the kingdom. The Arctic Command’s modernization, which revolves around Nuuk and is supplemented by naval, air, and cyber components, seeks to respond to the challenges of the Arctic’s harsh climate and operational domain, which is more than four times the size of France.
New Arctic vessels will replace Denmark’s aging patrol vessels. With only four vessels in the fleet, Denmark’s current patrol vessels do not meet the growing security needs of the region. The new vessels will allow more extensive patrols and facilitate rapid response to incidents, improving their ice and quick response capabilities. In addition, Denmark’s investment in the strategy for new maritime patrol aircraft seeks to reinforce interoperability with NATO partners, including the potential acquisition of NATO ally systems.
Context of Global Arctic Military Competition
Denmark’s increased investments in its military extend to its responsible encroachment within the region. The investments indicate the military escalation of a dominant approach within the Arctic Circle. Denmark is a member of the coalition of Arctic nations. The members of the coalition have invested within the region as a strategy to control possible challengers to their military investments. They intend to restrict the military encroachments of any possible adversaries with investments of their own. Control is enabled within the Arctic region not only through military investments but also economically within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region is important to Russia economically as well as militarily. It holds geopolitically important energy resources. It facilitates the control of dominant shipping routes that are essential for the global economy and competitors. Candidate nations economically supportive of Russia’s policies, such as China, enable Russia to expand the Arctic militarily. The dominant nations of the region are Western, and military control is a challenge to their dominance. The NATO allies have economically countered these investments, proving that the counter-investments prove the militant investments characterizing the region.
The Greenland Factor and US-Denmark Relations
Denmark’s investments in its military are military investments in response to Trump’s previous political tensions with Denmark and the US. The tensions staked military investments to dominate Greenland, which is politically tied to Denmark. Denmark avoids tensions by military control of Greenland, as Trump’s demands have later been wasted. Leaders of Greenland have also stated their military interests in the partition of the territorial landmass and stressed the relevance of control with the European Union and Denmark. Denmark regards strengthening Arctic defense as both a protection of critical infrastructure and a defense of territory and a symbolic claim of sovereignty against potential foreign challenges.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
Imtiaz Munir is currently pursuing a BS in English with a focus on linguistics and literature at Bahria University, Islamabad. He is an active reader with a strong grasp of political theories, having explored concepts like justice and forms of government. He enjoys analyzing political themes with a philosophical approach. At present, he is working on his research thesis to meet academic requirements and further his interest in critical analysis.