Denmark leads large military exercise in Greenland, without US

Danish F-16 fighter jets fly over the frigate Niels Juel as Danish and French armed forces perform military drills off the coast of Nuuk, Greenland, September 15, 2025. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo

NUUK (Reuters) -Denmark did not invite the U.S. military to take part in Arctic Light 2025, the largest military exercise in Greenland's modern history, as NATO allies step up defence cooperation in the Arctic amid U.S. interest in the island.

Denmark's Arctic commander, Soren Andersen, confirmed that, while U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had been invited, no U.S. military units were asked to participate.