enmark begins extended military conscription in response to Russia, Trump

Around ‌1,600 Danish military recruits on Monday began the country's new extended conscription, embarking on an 11-month service period as Denmark accelerates its defence build-up driven by Arctic security pressures and the war in Ukraine.

Denmark ​said in 2024 it would extend conscription to include women for the first ​time and increase standard service time to 11 months from four, while ⁠the number of conscripts is set to increase to 7,500 annually by 2033 from ​5,000.

The new intake arrives as Denmark prepares to deploy conscripts to Greenland for the first ​time later this month, with a company of more than 100 soldiers set to serve for one month taking over operational tasks from professional troops.

The deployment carries added political weight as U.S. President Donald ​Trump has repeatedly sought to annex the semi-autonomous Danish territory, citing national security, a demand firmly rejected ​by the governments of Greenland and Denmark.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at last month's NATO summit in ‌Ankara ⁠said her nation was ready to defend every inch of territory in the military alliance, "including our own".

Silas Nohr, a 19-year-old first-day conscript from the town of Varde in western Denmark, said he welcomed the longer service period.

"Now we have 11 months, and I feel like you ​can really get into ​it, really experience ⁠it and get a lot deeper into the military," he said.

The new recruits face five months of basic training followed by six ​months of operational service. The Danish Armed Forces are also introducing ​new conscription tracks, ⁠including a drone platoon at the Special Operations Command.

The Nordic country's programme operates as a ballot system for all healthy young adults who turn 18, but has for many years consisted ⁠almost ​entirely of volunteers, with the lottery used only to ​fill remaining quotas.

Nordic neighbours Sweden, Finland and Norway also have a conscription-based military service, as does the Baltic region ​of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

-Reuters