Following President Donald Trump’s recent threats to take control of Greenland, officials on the Arctic island have turned to Canada for assistance in strengthening their defenses.
The Canadian armed forces operate a reserve unit known as the Rangers, which has maintained a continuous presence in remote Arctic settlements for years. Officials from Greenland and Denmark have spent three years consulting with Canadian representatives about creating their own version of this force — discussions that became more pressing after Trump’s statements and increasing concerns about Russian aggression in the Arctic region.
“The rhetoric coming out of the White House has sped up efforts to rebuff the idea that Arctic communities need the U.S. to come in and save them,” said Whitney Lackenbauer, an honorary lieutenant-colonel Canadian Ranger involved in the talks, who spoke with Reuters during a recent 5,000-kilometer Arctic snowmobile trek by the Rangers. “The Nordic countries and Canada, we’re increasingly realizing we can come together in military and diplomatic ways to send a message that carries moral weight.”
As Canada works to reduce its dependence on U.S. protection for its extensive Arctic territory, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been building stronger relationships and sharing defense strategies with Nordic nations, which he considers reliable allies. This enhanced military cooperation represents part of Carney’s broader strategy to forge stronger bonds between what he terms “middle powers” in an era where America is viewed as a less dependable partner.
The White House responded that Trump’s leadership has encouraged allies “to recognize the need to meaningfully contribute to their own defense” and emphasized the Arctic’s importance for U.S. national security and economic interests.
“The administration is participating in diplomatic high-level technical talks with the governments of Greenland and Denmark to address the United States’ national security interests in Greenland,” a White House spokesperson said in an email.
Arctic partnerships are evolving as climate change increases accessibility to the region. Russia maintains significantly more military installations there than any other country, while China has recently expanded its presence in the resource-rich area, primarily through Russian partnerships. Although Carney states Canada will no longer depend on other nations to defend its territory, he identifies Russia as the primary Arctic threat — with Nordic countries enhancing their own defenses since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In March, Canada joined the five Nordic nations — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden — in an agreement to enhance cooperation in military purchasing and increase defense manufacturing to address security challenges, including cyber threats. Government policy documents indicate a strategy for Greenland’s adaptation of the Canadian Rangers model should be completed by year’s end.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand told Reuters she maintains regular contact with Nordic officials regarding collective defense and Arctic security matters. While Canada’s NORAD partnership with the United States remains vital, she emphasized Canada’s focus on developing new alliances. This includes opening a Canadian consulate in Nuuk in February and inviting Nordic counterparts to visit Canada’s Arctic this year.
“We have to build something new, and it has to be a world order that is built on the values that we represent,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told Carney during the Nordic-Canadian summit in Oslo in March.
In April, Alexander Stubb became the first Finnish president to visit Canada in twelve years, signing multiple Arctic cooperation agreements. Stubb and Carney participated in a hockey practice on Ottawa ice, after which Stubb revealed he and Carney exchange messages nearly daily.
The two leaders sometimes discuss hockey or baseball, Stubb told reporters, but “most of the time it’s about NATO or Ukraine or Iran.”
Lackenbauer, who serves as an Arctic specialist at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, believes Canada should restructure its Arctic security approach similar to how Nordic countries responded after Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022.
“The more we can go and help Canada’s allies in northern Europe, the more hostile nations will get the message that they do not get a free pass in the Arctic,” he said.
Among the eight Arctic nations, Canada’s defense spending for the region has consistently ranked near the lowest, behind Russia, the U.S., Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland, according to the Arctic Business Index. Alongside Greenland, Canada has historically invested the least. Last year, Canada achieved the NATO benchmark of spending 2% of GDP on defense, approximately CA$63 billion, following repeated criticism from Trump. This marked a significant increase from a low of just 1% in 2014.
Neil O’Rourke, Director General at Canada’s Coast Guard for Fleet and Maritime Services, explained that he and a Danish defense colleague recognized years ago that during any serious Arctic incident, their first contact should be with each other.
“Up north, we’re just across the water and it makes much more sense to share resources than to get help from down south,” O’Rourke said in an interview. He noted Canada is also studying Norway’s maritime emergency vessel towing procedures.
Rob Huebert, an Arctic specialist at the University of Calgary, stressed that U.S. cooperation remains essential, highlighting America’s advanced military technology and Canada’s continued reliance on U.S. forces for northern region protection.
“If we are talking about war-fighting capability, that means working with the U.S. military,” he said.
Huebert suggested Carney’s March visit to observe a Norwegian-led NATO exercise in Bardufoss might signal a shift in Canada’s approach.
“Until very recently, Canada’s participation in NATO’s Arctic exercises in the Nordics has been very token,” he said. “But then all of a sudden because of Trump, we decide we’d better do something with the Nordics.”
