NATO began its biennial Arctic military exercise today, placing greater emphasis on the role of civilians in supporting military operations.
The exercise came at a time of high tension over US President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland from fellow NATO member Denmark. The drills, named Cold Response, will conduct from 9th to 19th this month.
The exercise has now become part of Arctic Sentry, the NATO mission to strengthen its presence in the polar region that was launched to defuse tensions with Trump over Greenland.
Trump insists the US needs Greenland to fend off threats from Russian and Chinese interests in the Arctic and that Denmark cannot ensure its security. The governments of both Denmark and Greenland say the island is not for sale.
This year, around 25 thousand troops from 14 nations including the US and Denmark, will take part. The US is expected to deploy roughly 4 thousand troops for the drills.
