NUUK, Greenland: Denmark did not invite the US military to take part in Arctic Light 2025, the largest military exercise in Greenland’s modern history, as NATO allies step up defense cooperation in the Arctic amid US interest in the island.
Denmark’s Arctic commander, Soren Andersen, confirmed that, while US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been invited, no US military units were asked to participate.
“We work together with colleagues on the US Pituffik Space Base, but they were not invited with units for this exercise,” Andersen told Reuters.
The US has previously participated in Denmark-led military exercises in Greenland. A spokesperson at the US Embassy in Copenhagen said that “while we are not participating in this particular exercise, we continue our robust military cooperation with the Kingdom of Denmark and other Arctic allies.”
Independent military analyst Hans Peter Michaelsen told Reuters the exercise has “a strong political signalling” to demonstrate Denmark’s stewardship of Greenland with NATO allies.
“The exercise is basically designed to show the Americans that Denmark looks after Greenland and does so with the help of other major NATO countries,” Michaelsen said.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that he seeks US jurisdiction over Greenland. He hasn’t ruled out military force to take control of the mineral-rich territory.
Denmark and Greenland have said the island is not for sale and condemned reports of the US gathering intelligence there. Last month, Denmark’s foreign minister summoned the top US diplomat in Copenhagen for talks after the main national broadcaster reported that at least three people with connections to Trump had been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland.

Good ties with US military

Andersen dismissed suggestions that the drill was intended to send a message to Washington. He pointed to good relations with the American military.

“We have worked together with the US for decades, both in exercises and also operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and so on,” Andersen said on Monday. That will continue this week, because Denmark will be taking its fighter jets to the United States’ Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland, he added.
“So, we will land up there, and I think the pilots will have a cup of coffee with the base commander there,” Andersen said.

Denmark has ramped up defense investment and military activity in Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory, since US President Donald Trump’s comments about acquiring the strategically located territory and criticism over Denmark’s efforts to defend it.
Ties between Copenhagen and Washington have worsened this year due to Trump’s refusal to rule out taking Greenland by force. Denmark last month summoned the top US diplomat in Copenhagen over reports alleging covert influence operations by US citizens in Greenland.

The US embassy spokesperson said that NATO allies’ efforts to ensure preparedness to defend in the Arctic were welcome.
The US, which maintained 17 bases in Greenland during the Cold War, currently has a permanent presence only at the Pituffik Space Base in northwestern Greenland.

Stronger Danish military presence
Denmark is moving to strengthen its military presence around Greenland and in the wider North Atlantic. In late January, the government announced a roughly 14.6 billion-kroner ($2.3 billion) agreement with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faeroe Islands to “improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region.”
Those will include three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones and satellite capacity.

Arctic Light 2025, running from September 9 to 19, involves more than 550 soldiers, including special forces, from Denmark, France, Germany, Sweden and Norway.

Denmark is deploying the frigate, two helicopters, two F-16s and personnel from all three branches of the armed forces, including special forces. France is sending a naval ship, a tanker aircraft and mountain infantry equipped with drones.

The exercise prepares for potential scenarios involving increased Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic, Andersen said.

Wariness toward Russia in the Arctic
This year’s Arctic Light is taking place against a backdrop of growing wariness toward Russia in the region.
“I think it’s fair to say that Russia has built up in the Arctic for the last 20 years, and Russia is a regional superpower in the Arctic,” Andersen said.
When the war in Ukraine ends, “I think most of us working in this business ... think that Russia will start building up again other places and use their resources not in Ukraine, but other places in the world,” he said.