Denmark maneuvering to increase military foothold in the Arctic

The move may not be welcomed by Russia, according to Moscow-based think-tank

Shifa Rahaman

Denmark is prepared to invest millions of kroner to increase its military foothold in the Arctic, all in a bid to help address the growing challenges that are predicted to arise with the continued melting of the ice caps.

The plans, which were the main points of the Arctic analysis report presented by the government on Monday, include improved satellite surveillance, better communication, increased contributions from the Navy, and Canadian-style ‘ranger patrols’ in Greenland.

Monitoring and emergency response
The move, which is expected to initially cost 360 million kroner, and an additional 120 million kroner each year thereafter, has been fully endorsed by Dansk Folkeparti, Radikale and Socialdemokraterne.

However, Andrey Kortunov, director at the Moscow-based think-tank RIAC, questions how the plans will be perceived by the Kremlin, seeing as how the Arctic is of major strategic interest to Russia.

“The plans will certainly not be welcomed by Russian leaders,” he said, referring to the tensions between Russia and NATO.

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