Denmark to Deploy Conscripts to Greenland Amid U.S. Interest

Denmark is set to deploy conscripts to its autonomous territory of Greenland, a region that has been a point of contention due to interest from U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to an AFP report on June 23 (local time), Danish Defense Minister Jeppe Bruus responded to parliamentary inquiries on the matter by stating, "Conscripts will be deployed alongside regular troops and will actively participate in all missions."

Previously, the Danish broadcaster TV2 reported that military authorities were considering plans to send conscripts to Greenland.

Minister Bruus explained, however, that the conscripts deployed to Greenland would be assigned to tasks that do not require long-term specialized training.

He did not provide specific details regarding when the deployment would begin or the scale of the troop presence.

This measure is interpreted as part of the Danish government's policy to strengthen its military presence in Greenland in response to growing pressure from the United States.

The U.S. has criticized Denmark for neglecting the security of Greenland, a vast Arctic territory, and has argued that the U.S. must control the region to counter potential threats from Russia and China, leading to friction with Denmark, a NATO ally.

President Trump further escalated tensions last January by threatening that he would not rule out the use of force to annex Greenland.

Following collective backlash from European allies and persuasion by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President Trump softened his stance and agreed to resolve the Greenland issue diplomatically through consultations with Denmark and Greenland.

The Danish military currently prioritizes volunteers of both genders, filling any personnel shortages through a lottery-based conscription system.

In response to heightened security concerns in Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Denmark implemented a conscription reform in July of last year, significantly extending the mandatory military service period from four months to 11 months and including women in the conscription pool.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.