Copenhagen, Denmark - Denmark will beef up its military presence in Greenland "from today", the defense ministry said Wednesday, just before high-stakes talks were to start in Washington over President Donald Trump's threats to take over the Arctic island.

"The Danish armed forces are, from today, deploying capabilities and units related to ... exercise activities. In the period ahead, this will result in an increased military presence in and around Greenland, comprising aircraft, vessels, and soldiers, including from NATO allies," the Danish defense ministry said in a statement.

Trump has repeatedly announced his intention to seize the autonomous territory, He has accused Denmark of neglecting security in and around Greenland.

As Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart were to hold talks Wednesday in Washington with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, Trump doubled down on his demands, saying "anything less than" US control is would be "unacceptable."

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Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that a US attack on a NATO ally would end the alliance.

"Security in the Arctic is of crucial importance to the Kingdom of Denmark and our Arctic allies, and it is therefore important that we, in close cooperation with allies, further strengthen our ability to operate in the region," Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in Wednesday's statement.

The exercise activities in 2026 could include guarding critical infrastructure, providing assistance to local authorities in Greenland, receiving allied troops, deploying fighter aircraft, and conducting naval operations, the ministry said.

Denmark last year hosted exercises in Greenland in which NATO members Germany, France, Norway, and Sweden took part, it said.