Denmark to boost defense spending: PM
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The prime minister did not mention any detailed figures regarding the projected rise.
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Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen gives a statement ahead of a summit of the Baltic Sea NATO countries in Helsinki, Finland, on January 14, 2025. (AP)
Denmark plans to increase its defense budget, something Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen believes will be "difficult and ....expensive."
Frederiksen told Danish network TV2 on Tuesday the country will "be spending significantly more on defense."
The prime minister allegedly did not mention the projected rise's actual numbers, which is likely to occur despite US President Donald Trump's allegations that the US needs to possess Greenland, which is formally part of Denmark, for global security reasons.
A Financial Times report on Tuesday revealed that the EU and NATO agreed to remain silent on Greenland following a request from Denmark, which urged its allies not to respond to Donald Trump’s threats to acquire the Arctic island.
As mentioned in the report, Copenhagen's approach of sidestepping public confrontation with Trump—closely coordinated with NATO and the EU, according to four officials—highlights the challenge faced by US allies in navigating the US president's combative diplomatic tactics.
It is worth mentioning that Trump engaged in a tense 45-minute phone call with Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen last week, plunging Copenhagen into what officials described as "crisis mode." He also threatened to impose tariffs on Denmark and did not rule out the possibility of seizing Greenland by force.
Trump reaffirmed over the weekend that he "will get" Greenland, while ridiculing Copenhagen’s defense capabilities, sarcastically referring to their reliance on "dog sleighs" to protect the island, which houses the largest US military presence in the Arctic.
The US, a NATO ally of Denmark, shares a mutual defense agreement, while the EU's treaty includes a similar clause. Initially, Danish and EU officials viewed Trump's Greenland comments as a tactic for influence in the Arctic amid rising Russian and Chinese interest, according to the report.
However, they now see the issue as more serious, with global implications if NATO or the EU fail to condemn a sovereignty violation by an ally. Despite this, officials have opted to downplay public discussion, fearing that openly challenging Trump could worsen the crisis.
"A low profile seems to be the safest bet with Trump. Hopefully, he will be distracted by something else," one senior European official said.
