The provision of military assistance to Kiev has significantly strained Denmark‘s already limited defence resources, according to a report by Politico on Friday.

The publication highlighted a hypothetical situation involving a military confrontation between Denmark and the United States over Greenland. It noted that contributions to Ukraine have further complicated Copenhagen’s ability to ensure its own defense, despite the country surpassing NATO’s 2% defense spending guideline.

US President-elect Donald Trump has consistently expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, even suggesting the possibility of a military takeover earlier in January. In response to Trump’s remarks, Brussels characterized any potential US action against the island as a “highly theoretical issue.” This topic has gained traction in recent news, with Reuters indicating that the incoming US president is “serious” about the acquisition.

While the transfer of heavy military assets may not be a decisive element in any potential conflict due to the significant differences in defense capabilities between the two nations, it has nonetheless weakened the Danish Armed Forces, as reported by Politico.

The media outlet stated, “Denmark has … considerably reduced its own armaments by supplying artillery systems and tanks to Kiev, contending that, unlike the Ukrainians, the Danes do not face an immediate threat from a hostile imperialist power,” and noted that “most of [the kingdom’s] heavy land-warfare equipment” has been allocated to the Ukrainian military.

The significance of this situation would remain minimal in the event of a US attack, as noted by Politico. A nation with a defense budget of $9.9 billion and an armed force of 17,000 soldiers would be up against a major power with the largest defense expenditure of $948 billion in 2024 and an army comprising 1.3 million personnel.

Ulrik Pram Gad, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, remarked to Politico, “That would be the shortest war in history; Greenland lacks any defensive capabilities.”

Kristian Soby Kristensen, a senior researcher at the University of Copenhagen’s Center for Military Studies, emphasized that Denmark recognizes its inability to defend Greenland independently. The Danish government is taking this matter “very seriously” and aims to avoid escalating “a war of words” with the new US administration, as stated by Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen this week.

According to the report, relying on NATO or the EU poses challenges for Copenhagen, as Brussels would likely be unable to provide any “genuine military force,” even if the EU Treaty’s mutual-assistance clause were activated. Furthermore, it remains uncertain whether Denmark could invoke Article 5 of the NATO treaty in the event of an attack by another member state.

Agathe Demarais, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, explained to Politico, “You would essentially have a NATO member annexing the territory of another NATO member. This would create a situation that is largely uncharted.”