Denmark Plans 'Stronger Presence' in Greenland

Denmark's defense minister, calling the timing of the announcement an "irony of fate," has announced a huge boost in defense spending for Greenland. Troels Lund Poulsen said the spending increase is a "double digit billion amount" in Danish krone, the equivalent of at least $1.5 billion, the BBC reports. The announcement came a day after President-elect Trump said the "ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity." Greenland Prime Minister Mute Egede said Greenland is not for sale and never will be.

Grreenland is a largely self-governing autonomous territory of Denmark, which handles the island's foreign policy and defense, the Washington Post reports. "For many years we have not invested enough in the Arctic, now we are planning a stronger presence," Poulsen said. He said Denmark is willing to "work with the US" on Greenland's security, per the Hill.

Poulsen said the new defense package for Greenland will include two new patrol ships, two long-range drones, and two extra dog sled teams, the BBC reports. Denmark also plans to send more military personnel to Greenland and upgrade a civilian airport to handle F-35 fighters. (Analysts say Trump isn't joking about Greenland.)