Major General Søren Andersen, commander of Arctic Command, on Friday invited the United States to participate in military exercises in Greenland.
This is reported by the Reuters news agency, which spoke with the major general on board a Danish warship in Nuuk, Greenland.
According to Søren Andersen, the plan is for the exercises to take place later this year. He is now awaiting a response on whether the United States wants to participate, he says.
Several NATO countries have sent defense personnel to Greenland in recent days. They will be part of the Danish exercise "Operation Arctic Endurance".
It is unclear whether this is the same exercise that the Americans have been invited to participate in.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Defense and the Greenlandic government announced that there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland.
The purpose is to strengthen NATO's footprint in the Arctic for the benefit of both European and transatlantic security.
Countries such as Norway, Sweden and Germany have sent defense personnel to the island, while the US administration maintains its desire to take over Greenland.
The major general further tells Reuters that no Russian or Chinese ships have been observed near Greenland.
- There are Russian and Chinese ships in the Arctic Ocean, but not close to Greenland, says Søren Andersen.
He also says that he cannot imagine one NATO country attacking another.
US President Donald Trump wants to control Greenland for security reasons in the area, where he sees China and Russia as threats.
