In the defense package to protect Greenland, there is an expansion of Denmark's Arctic special forces unit, Sirius Patrol, using 45kg dogs to pull sleds to move on the harsh terrain of this island.
Denmark also committed to placing a radar system in eastern Greenland, as well as 5 new patrol ships to replace the old Thetis-class ships, 1 Poseidon-style patrol aircraft and 4 MQ-9B Sea Guardian long-range drones.
However, on January 9, information revealed showed that none of these military equipment will be ready for deployment until 2031. Some items on the list come from suppliers in the US.
In addition, even if the delivery of equipment is accelerated, none of these warships and aircraft can be of much help to Denmark in protecting Greenland from an external attack or a coup in Nuuk - the capital of the island.
They are not combat platforms but simply monitoring platforms" - Peter Viggo Jakobsen, Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Defence Academy, shared.
He added: "The US requires Denmark to be able to monitor the situation 24/7. Therefore, it is mainly the type that Denmark has invested in to replace the ships that we have in Greenland for search and rescue operations...".
Greenland does not have its own army and Denmark, the country responsible for protecting the island, only has limited air and naval forces for defense.
Greenland's main defense is a US military base, where about 150 US soldiers are stationed, mainly the air force and space forces, as well as an intercontinental ballistic missile early detection system (ICBM).
Besides, there is also a Danish military base, the Arctic Command in Nuuk, with about 130 soldiers, and some remote research stations located around the island.
Information that Denmark is racing to strengthen defenses in Greenland takes place in the context that the US is showing determination to annex this island.
Analysts point out that if President Donald Trump is determined to make Greenland part of the United States, Denmark will not be able to protect its territory.
Even Greenland could be occupied without a single shot, because US soldiers, who were stationed at Pituffik Space Base, only needed to cross the road and enter the Greenland government buildings.
On January 9, leaders of all 5 political parties in the Greenland parliament declared: "We don't want to be Americans, we don't want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders".
The statement also stated: "The future of Greenland must be decided by the Greenland people. No other country can interfere in this. We must decide our own future, not under pressure to make hasty decisions, not delay and without intervention from other countries.
Lin Alexandra Mortensgaard - an expert at the Danish Institute for International Studies - said that discussing the prospect of US military occupation of Greenland is "absurd", and such a scenario could lead to "the end of the NATO alliance".
Next week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Danish officials to discuss the future of Greenland.
