Denmark has just staged what its military calls the largest-ever operation in Greenland, a blunt reminder that the Arctic is no longer a quiet backwater but a frontline in great-power competition. The Danish Armed Forces took journalists into the air, on the sea and across the frozen landscape to show they can defend the island and signal capability to both Washington and Moscow. This is a sober, strategic move that should wake every American policymaker up to the stakes in the North Atlantic.
The exercise, named Arctic Light 2025, involved more than 550 personnel from Denmark and several NATO partners and featured boarding drills, helicopter insertions, frigate maneuvers, and F-16 flybys over brutal Arctic weather. Observers from allied militaries watched Danish special forces train for ship seizures and live-fire events that would be central to defending Greenland’s coastline and critical infrastructure. These are the kinds of boots-on-the-ground, cold-weather capabilities the United States must be ready to back with resources and leadership.
Greenland’s strategic geography — a natural barrier between Russia and North America — makes it vital to U.S. national security, yet the recent drills notably excluded direct U.S. participation, a fact that reflects diplomatic friction after high-profile American interest in the island. The U.S. retains only one active base on the island, Pituffik, but American access and influence have been the backbone of Western deterrence in the Arctic for decades. Any European attempt to sideline the U.S. in its own backyard should set off alarm bells in Washington, not applause abroad.
Copenhagen is also moving to beef up Greenlandic defenses with a multibillion-kroner plan for new Arctic vessels, long-range drones and satellite capacity, even as it formalizes arrangements for U.S. military access on Danish soil. Those moves are sensible as far as sovereignty goes, but they also underscore why American resolve and clear, constant engagement are necessary — not optional — if we intend to keep Russia and China from exploiting any gap. The world does not reward hesitation; it rewards strength and candid alliances.
Make no mistake: President Trump and other U.S. leaders who have insisted that Greenland is of vital American interest were right to put the Arctic back on the map. Conservative patriots know that safeguarding our nation means projecting power where geography demands it, not apologizing for it. If European allies want credit for defending the North, they should welcome U.S. participation and American investment instead of playing diplomatic theater that leaves our forces on the sidelines.
The Kremlin and Beijing have been more active in polar regions in recent years, and Denmark’s exercise openly acknowledged the growing Russian challenge in the far north. That is exactly why the United States must stop outsourcing deterrence to photo ops and instead fund permanent Arctic-ready capabilities, strengthen Pituffik, and ensure our Air Force and Navy have the basing and logistics they need in extreme environments. American taxpayers and troops deserve a strategy that matches the geography of the threat.
Patriotic Americans should salute the Danish sailors and soldiers who trained hard in unforgiving conditions, but they should also demand seriousness from our own leaders. Congress must prioritize Arctic defense, and the next administration should treat Greenland as the strategic treasure it is — not a punchline or a bargaining chip. Our liberty depends on standing firm where it matters most, and the frozen north is one of those places.
