Denmark Sends Conscripts to Greenland as Part of Arctic Military Exercise

Danish conscripts have been deployed to Greenland in a military exercise called Arctic Endurance, the first time in recent history that recruits have been sent to the region.

“Of course, we are a part of a bigger picture of the strategic communication ​about Greenland, but our role here is just to continue the training of ​the conscripts, the soldiers, and get more experience with the training in the Arctic terrain and ‌climate,” Company ⁠Commander Capt. Laura Jepsen said on Sept. 2.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in January that he might have the United States annex Greenland as an essential step toward securing the Arctic amid growing threats from Beijing and Moscow.

Anton, 22, one of the conscripts, said that their presence “sends a ​message that Denmark is reinforcing itself for the future.”

The move follows pledges from Copenhagen to spend billions of dollars to strengthen Arctic defense in Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, training soldiers to operate in one of Denmark’s most challenging and strategic ⁠regions.

Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen acknowledged in January 2025 that Denmark had “neglected for many years” the defense of the Arctic region.

In October 2025, Poulsen announced 27.4 billion Danish krone ($4.25 billion) in funding to strengthen the Danish Armed Forces’ effectiveness in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

This would go into investing in a number of efforts, the Danish Ministry of Defense stated at the time, including a new headquarters for Joint Arctic Command, two additional Arctic vessels, and additional drones.

Conscript Program

The conscripts are part of the ​first cohort under Denmark’s new extended conscription program, which was developed in response to the Russia–Ukraine war and Arctic security pressures.

Copenhagen had stated in 2024 that it would extend the conscription period from four months to 11 and increase over time the number of conscripts from 5,000 to 7,500, as well as include women.

Denmark’s conscription program operates on a lottery system for all healthy young adults who turn 18. For many years, it has almost entirely consisted of volunteers, with the ballots used only to fill remaining quotas.

The Nordic country is one of several in Europe with conscription-based armed forces, including Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden.

Arctic Sentry

The conscripts are taking part in Arctic Endurance, a Danish-run exercise that began in January and is set to continue throughout 2026. It trains soldiers for combat and survival in extreme cold-weather conditions.

NATO allies also participate in Arctic Endurance, according to the Danish Armed Forces, including Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.

Denmark’s Arctic Endurance drills form part of Arctic Sentry, which NATO’s military command launched earlier this year amid growing concerns about potential security threats in the Arctic and High North posed by China and Russia.

Russia, which maintains the Arctic’s largest military footprint, has criticized the defense alliance’s growing activity in the north, ​calling it a threat to its security.

“Intensive military preparations are underway in close proximity to our northern borders,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Aug. 31. “NATO is conducting large-scale military exercises involving non-regional countries and introducing new components of its command-and-control system.”

Lavrov said that such activity increases the “risk of incidents that could trigger an armed confrontation with potentially disastrous consequences.”

Talks Over Greenland Ongoing

Greenland’s capital city, Nuuk, and Copenhagen have rejected Trump’s idea of the United States taking control of Greenland.

This week, Greenland’s foreign minister said talks with the United States are continuing.

“The officials are working hard to resolve the situation,” Greenlandic ​Foreign Minister Mute Egede told the European Parliament on Sept. 2. “Unfortunately, ​I cannot ⁠share the details of those talks, but ​what I can tell ​you ⁠is that our dialogue is ongoing.”

The U.S. military maintains a permanent presence at the Pituffik Space Base in Greenland’s northwest.

Greenland is important for the U.S. military and its ballistic missile early warning system, as the shortest route from Europe to North America runs over the island.

Reuters contributed to this report.