
Denmark sees need for more icebreakers in Arctic
Prime minister Mette Frederiksen acknowledges the need for additional icebreakers to enhance security in the Arctic amid movements by world powers Russia and China. During a visit to a Finnish icebreaker in Helsinki, she ponders that working with Finland on acquiring icebreakers could be a natural step forward. Defense minister Troels Lund Poulsen states Russia possesses at least 50 icebreakers with at least 13 suitable for Arctic operations, including seven large nuclear ones with plans for more. China has four icebreakers capable of Arctic operations, while NATO countries collectively have only 13. Denmark, having retired its last icebreakers in 2010 due to military budget cuts, is contemplating the need for reinstating its icebreaker capacity while examining overall security with NATO. Frederiksen also admits to a widespread down-prioritization of security in the West, including the Arctic region.