Prior to the Cold War, the Arctic held significant military importance for the USSR and the United States (Arctic Institute 2). After the dissolution of the USSR, a new status quo emerged, with Arctic states- Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the U.S., Denmark, Canada, and Iceland- forming cooperative organizations, such as the Arctic 8 or The Arctic Council (Arctic Institute 1, 2). However, a mixture of the growing strategic competition among the U.S., Russia, and China combined with recent discoveries of natural resources and the effects of climate change, has transformed this period of relative neutrality into one of increasing tensions (Arctic Institute 2, 3).
Russia has long been and continues to be a major stakeholder in the Arctic, controlling over half of the Arctic Ocean coastline and positioning its Northern Fleet as a nuclear deterrent (BBC 1). Russian President Vladimir Putin has already pledged to increase troop presence in the North and has steadily expanded the country’s military capacity in the region to strengthen their energy and oil trading prospects, particularly with China and India (BBC 1). Russia has been working closely with China, developing deals for Russian oil in exchange for the development of the Chinese “Polar Silk Road” initiative, which has broadened US and other Arctic states’ involvement (Arctic Institute 2).
Russia has adopted confrontational rhetoric, and cooperation has been stunted against fellow NATO members such as Norway, Denmark, and Sweden (BBC 1). Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, cooperation between the three nations and Russia has deteriorated, and climate mitigation and research projects have shifted in favor of greater power competition (Arctic Institute 3).
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Danish Deputy Prime Minister Troels Lund Poulsen jointly announced new German and Danish naval patrol initiatives, along with plans for increased investments to be detailed later (The Local European). Germany and Denmark are coordinating this joint effort to act as a bulwark to the growing Russian militarization in the north, with increased Russian submarine activity and an announced expansion to the Russian icebreaker fleet (The Telegraph).
This followed Denmark’s 2025 announcement that it would invest 14.6 billion Kroner, or $1.4 billion USD, in its Arctic territories, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland (The Local European). Greenland specifically holds great strategic importance for NATO and the United States, holding the U.S. Pituffik Space Base for missile detection and the GIUK Gap used to monitor Russian naval activity (Sentry). Greenland’s strategic importance is enough to grant Norway discounted NATO membership (Arctic Institute 1).
Germany’s partnership with Denmark in the Arctic reflects its broader commitment to countering Russian aggression following the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war (The Telegraph). The deployment, dubbed “Atlantic Bear,” will make rounds around Greenland, Iceland, and Canada, and will include German submarines, tanks, patrol aircraft, and frigates to illustrate their newly vested interest in the region (The Telegraph).
Climate change, the race to control newly accessible rare resources, and intensifying great power rivalries have made the Arctic a highly contested region (BBC 2). Researchers at the Arctic Institute warn that such instability could have consequences for Europe, noting that the neutrality once practiced by states like Norway, Sweden, or Denmark in the past have had positive impacts on political and environmental tensions alike (Arctic Institute 3). They further argue that EU and Nordic states may be discouraged by Russian sanctions and Chinese investments, pushing them to seek alternative resource routes and potentially worsening long-term climate challenges (Artic Institute 3).
Sources:
Arctic Institute:
Arctic Institute 1 – https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/denmark-interests-arctic-greenland-connection/
Arctic Institute 2 – https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/rising-tensions-shifting-strategies-evolving-dynamics-us-grand-strategy-arctic/
Arctic Institute 3 – https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/losing-dividends-neutrality-arctic/
BBC:
BBC 1 – https://monitoring.bbc.co.uk/product/b0003mq5
BBC 2 – https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjwqn7z02plo
Other Sources:
The Local European – https://www.thelocal.com/20250701/germany-and-denmark-announce-navy-patrol-in-arctic?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAj5VsAQehjacbrxZwPSR4lXqIR1tG-Rv1Y42iRa9Yw656w2SN5RmfeSO9msveE%3D&gaa_ts=68a5e329&gaa_sig=3T-aLbCPpdx2uk9L8Ixt0_FB8lIzcrHmXYzBA3RnsW3L_IPmJwOne-xSuGeOyXgTVbzgHIxArULhH-J1rmVjxg%3D%3D
The Telegraph – https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/06/30/germany-sends-navy-to-arctic-to-counter-russia/#:~:text=Germany%20will%20send%20naval%20ships,military%20activity%20in%20the%20region.
Sentry- https://sentry-magazine.com/german-navy-to-demonstrate-arctic-presence/