Denmark and Faroe Islands plan stronger military presence

Denmark and the Faroe Islands have agreed to strengthen military cooperation and increase the defence presence around the islands, DR reports. Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus and Faroese Foreign Affairs and Fisheries Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen discussed the plans during Bruus’s visit to Thorshavn.

The proposals include more patrols by F-35 fighter jets, as well as the presence of frigates and transport aircraft. The details and precise scope of the agreement have not yet been finalised.

The Faroe Islands will also be included in the Danish military’s Arctic Endurance exercises, Bruus told DR’s P1 Morgen.

Arctic Endurance is a Danish-led military exercise in and around Greenland, carried out in close coordination with the Greenlandic government, Naalakkersuisut. Soldiers from several NATO countries have taken part. The exercise is intended, among other things, to maintain the ability to operate in Arctic conditions.

Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen, a lecturer and academic director at the Centre for Arctic Security Studies at the Danish Defence Academy, said the area around the Faroe Islands was strategically important for NATO.

He described a scenario in which Russia could cut the lines linking North America and Europe, for example by sending submarines into the Atlantic. Europe would then be left alone with Russia, giving Moscow a major advantage, he said.

“It is an important area if NATO is to prevent Russia from being able to move forces into the Atlantic,” Rahbek-Clemmensen told P1 Morgen. He said NATO countries, including Denmark, were investing heavily in capabilities that could operate in the region.

He also said the visit reflected Denmark’s efforts in recent years to involve the Faroe Islands and Greenland more closely in defence policy decisions.

“We need to take on a greater share of the responsibility within NATO for strengthening the presence in the Arctic region. We must also protect both Denmark and the whole realm, comprising the Faroe Islands and Greenland,” Bruus said.

Russia poses a real threat

Asked whether Russia was the reason for the increased focus, Bruus said it was one reason.

“It is no secret that the threat from Russia is real,” he said. “Russia is waging a hybrid war against the West, including Denmark, and that is one of the elements making the threat greater than anything we have seen before.”

Fishing agreement not the main issue

The Faroe Islands have had a fishing agreement with Russia since 1977. The agreement has been widely debated since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The agreement was extended last year, although vessels linked to two Russian shipping companies suspected of espionage were banned from Faroese waters and ports.

Asked whether it was problematic for the Faroe Islands to maintain the agreement with Russia, Bruus said it was a bilateral agreement and that the decision was for the Faroe Islands to make.

He added that Denmark remained extremely focused on developments involving Russia, but said he did not expect the Faroe Islands to tighten the fishing agreement further immediately. The agreement had not been the main subject of the discussions during his visit, he said.