Denmark better keep an eye on ‘unpredictable’ US as Russia only wants stability in the Arctic – study

Russian military assets in the Arctic are now mainly of defensive nature, but aggressive moves by the US and NATO may change that, and see Moscow sending more forces to the region, a top Danish think tank warned.

"Moscow still considers stability in the region a key factor in the development of the Russian Arctic as a strategically important resource base. Therefore, Russia is interested in the Arctic remaining a 'zone of peace and cooperation," a fresh report by the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), which was seen by RT, read.

But with the rivalry of superpowers – the US, Russia and China – intensifying in the region, it's the stance of Washington that is causing concerns, as the Americans believe that Moscow and Beijing must be "contained and suppressed," the report said.

DIIS, which prepares researches for Denmark's government and parliament, said that Washington remains a key ally to Copenhagen, but acknowledged that it's not always easy to work with the Americans.

The US is unpredictable and, as experience shows, isn't too sensitive towards the national and local priorities and interests of the host countries.

One of the stark examples of such unpredictability were Donald Trump's attempts to persuade Denmark to sell Greenland to the US last year. But Danish PM, Mette Frederiksen, firmly rejected the offer, stating that the island was not for sale.

Greenland is currently home to the northernmost base of the US Air Force, Thule Air Base. The facility hosts the US Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS), while also handling around 3,000 flights every year.

The think tank advised Denmark and other northern nations – Iceland, Finland and Norway – to carefully monitor not only the regional activities of Russia and China, but the US as well, the think tank said.

It's paramount for Denmark to boost its own potential in the Arctic in order to lower the dependence on the US and NATO, DIIS researches said in the report. They also suggested that the government develops a set of principles that would influence American drills and other military moves on the Danish territory more actively.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!