Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command has invited the United States to participate in upcoming NATO military exercises in Greenland, including the Arctic Endurance drills, amid heightened security concerns in the region and ongoing U.S. interest in the island.
Major General Soren Andersen, head of the Joint Arctic Command, confirmed the invitation during a briefing aboard a Danish warship in Nuuk on January 16, 2026.
“We had a meeting today with a lot of NATO partners, including the U.S., and invited them to participate in this exercise,” Andersen told Reuters.
He emphasized that the U.S., as a NATO ally, remains a close partner to Denmark.
“US is a very close Danish ally,” Andersen said in a separate AFP News Agency release, noting that the conference included representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Scandinavian countries.
The Arctic Endurance exercise this year will test forces in harsh winter conditions, building on Denmark’s ongoing efforts to strengthen presence and cooperation in the Arctic.
The Danish Armed Forces announced increased training activity in and around Greenland for 2026, conducted in close coordination with Greenlandic authorities and NATO allies.
This includes periodic operations distributed across the Arctic and North Atlantic, with deployments of aircraft, ships, and soldiers—including from NATO partners—to enhance capabilities in extreme environments and protect the alliance’s northern border.
Recent examples include a January 16 training mission in southeastern Greenland involving two Danish F-35 fighter jets and a French MRTT tanker aircraft, practicing aerial refueling, long-distance flights, and operations under Arctic conditions.
The Danish Armed Forces highlighted that such activities, which continued from strengthened efforts in 2025 with allies like Germany, France, Sweden, and Norway, aim to improve joint operations, guard critical infrastructure, and support Greenland authorities.
Andersen dismissed any notion of conflict with the United States, describing it as “hypothetical.”
“My focus is not toward the U.S., not at all. My focus is on Russia,” he told Reuters. “I don’t see a NATO ally attacking another NATO ally.”
He added that Denmark’s defense plans are routine and that NATO maintains “a good picture of the situation up here,” with no Chinese or Russian ships currently near Greenland—though a Russian research vessel was observed 310 nautical miles away.
Andersen noted expectations of increased Russian activities in the coming years, underscoring the need for enhanced training and presence to secure NATO’s northern flank.
The invitations and exercises come against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated statements on Greenland’s strategic importance, though Andersen stressed collaboration with U.S. forces remains frequent, including recent meetings with U.S. NORTHCOM and Alaska Command leaders, as well as engagements at Pituffik Space Base.
Denmark’s 2022 Arctic defense package of 42 billion Danish crowns ($6.54 billion) continues to support these efforts, reinforcing alliance cooperation rather than confrontation in the strategically vital region.
