The Kingdom strengthens defense cooperation with Canada
Press Release + Noah Note
Minister of Defence Troels Lund Poulsen, together with his Faroese counterpart Sirið Stenberg and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt, has signed a cooperation agreement with the Canadian Minister of Defence, David J. McGuinty.
The agreement strengthens defence cooperation between the Kingdom and Canada in a number of key areas - including defence innovation, technology, capacity building, as well as training, exercises and education.
The Kingdom of Denmark and Canada have agreed to strengthen their defense cooperation. This is stated in the cooperation agreement that the Kingdom of Denmark has concluded with Canada.
With the agreement, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Canada will strengthen their defense cooperation in a number of crucial areas in the future. This includes strengthened operational cooperation, surveillance in areas of common interest, as well as education, training and exercises.
“I am pleased that we can stand here today – Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland – united on a defense cooperation agreement with Canada that strengthens our common security. We need our friends, and we share the Canadian will to strengthen transatlantic ties and solve future tasks together,” says Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen.
The defense cooperation agreement was signed in Munich by Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen, Canadian Minister of Defense, David J. McGuinty, the Faroese Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs and Culture, Sirið Stenberg, and Greenland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Research, Vivian Motzfeldt.
“The North Atlantic and the High North have gained increased strategic importance. With this MoU, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Greenland and Canada strengthen their cooperation as close allies in several relevant areas during a demanding time. Based on the national security policy adopted by the Lagting, the Faroe Islands are ready to take on greater responsibility and contribute actively to stability and security in the North Atlantic,” says Sirið Stenberg.
“Canada is Greenland’s closest neighbor and a close NATO ally. It is only natural that we strengthen cooperation with our closest allies in the field of defense. This applies both bilaterally and within the framework of NATO. I am particularly looking forward to cooperating with Canada on the Greenland Ranger initiative, which stems from Partial Agreement 1 on the Arctic and the North Atlantic under the Defense Agreement. Canada has good experience in involving the local population in the defense task solving, and we would like to draw on that experience, among other things,” says Vivian Motzfeldt.
The agreement ensures that further impetus is given to strengthening defense cooperation with Canada with a focus on tangible results in the short and medium term. The agreement will, among other things, form the basis for more effective surveillance and knowledge sharing.
The agreement builds on an already close cooperation between the Kingdom of Denmark and Canada, including within the framework of NATO and the framework of the Maritime Partnership for Security in the North Atlantic together with Norway and Germany, which Denmark joined at the latest NATO summit on 25 June 2025. In addition, Denmark seconded a Defence Attaché to Canada in 2025.
Noah Note: Amazing. I gave shit a few weeks ago for not being involved, and since then the Federals have committed to the exact stuff I wanted to see. Maybe not to the full extent, but enough for me to be happy. Yes, there could be more done; however, this in the immediate month after is more than I expected.
Between a CCG visit, the new consulate (which admittedly was on the books for a long while), and now a proper security agreement, I can be happy with the immediate. This has aligned well with my desires. Of course, we still wait to hear from the Canadian side about this agreement. Hopefully, they will provide some more details on the specifics; this release is sorely lacking in such.
Of course, I would still like to see more cooperation on the side of infrastructure, joint training, and expanded exercises in the Arctic. All of those might already be in the finer details here; however, for now, I keep those as desires until things are confirmed. Of course, if you want my full suggestion list, you can find it here!
Hi Noah.
What do you think of creating a practical and training arrangement between Greenland (Denmark) and the Canadian Joint Task Force North?
JTFN Lodger Units (440 Transport Squadron, C Company The Loyal Edmonton Regiment, and the 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group have the skills to share and practice with Greenlanders. We are, of course, NATO partners and this may just be part of the present-day thinking behind the recently announced defence cooperation agreement.
How about you weigh-in on this?
I would like us to take this a step further and sign a joint deal with Denmark to be an equal partner in their new Naval dock and facilities. They have a long standing agreement with the US which is biting them in the ass to be honest, so why not with us. Have joint facilities or expanded facilities at NUUK, a mini naval base. Canadian AOPS, Frigates and subs making regular appearances for refueling and good will appearances would send a pretty strong message about Arctic security and greatly enhance our capabilities in the Arctic.