Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 9, 2026
3 min readLast updated: April 1, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleNATO launched its biennial Cold Response drills in the Arctic March 9–19, 2026, emphasizing civilian readiness under Norway’s “Total Defence Year,” amid tensions sparked by President Trump’s push to acquire Greenland and NATO’s new Arctic Sentry initiative.
(Refiles to add Trump's first name in top paragraph)
By Gwladys Fouche
OSLO, March 9 (Reuters) - NATO began its biennial drills in the Arctic on Monday, this time placing more emphasis on the role of civilians in supporting the military, at a time of high tension over U.S. President Donald Trump's push to take over Greenland from fellow NATO member Denmark.
The drills, named Cold Response, focus on defending the alliance in the European Arctic, where NATO-members Norway and Finland share a border with Russia, and will run March 9-19 this time.
The exercise has now become part of Arctic Sentry, the NATO mission to strengthen its presence in the polar region that was launched to defuse tensions with Trump over Greenland.
Trump insists the U.S. needs Greenland to fend off threats from Russian and Chinese interests in the Arctic, and that Denmark cannot ensure its security. The governments of both Denmark and Greenland say the island is not for sale.
This year, some 25,000 troops from some 14 nations - including the U.S. and Denmark - will take part in Cold Response, mostly across northern Norway and Finland.
The U.S. is expected to have some 4,000 troops present.
Ahead of the exercise, the U.S. military withdrew one squadron of F-35 fighter jets from the exercise. It declined to say whether the war in the Middle East played a role in the decision.
"The U.S. military is a globally deployed force and it is not abnormal for forces to be dynamically re-tasked or reallocated for a host of reasons," a spokesperson for the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe told Reuters.
FOCUS ON CIVILIAN READINESS
Norway has declared 2026 the year of "total defence", which puts emphasis on boosting the readiness of civilians, businesses and public institutions to cope with war and other catastrophes, the latest move by a Nordic nation to boost civilian preparedness.
"We want our military to do its job of defending the country. To do that, we are completely reliant on most aspects of society functioning as normal," Major-General Lars Lervik, head of the Norwegian Army, told Reuters.
"This is also an opportunity to rehearse specifically where civilians can give direct support to the military effort, for instance with the health service treating a higher number of injured soldiers, Norwegian or from allied forces, than usual."
On Thursday, the military will run a scenario testing the ability of hospitals in northern Norway to treat a high number of casualties being transported from an imaginary frontline in Finland.
(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo; Editing by Kevin Buckland)
The primary focus is on involving civilians and public institutions in supporting the military to enhance overall readiness for conflicts and emergencies.
Approximately 25,000 troops from 14 nations, including the U.S. and Denmark, are participating in this year's exercises.
NATO emphasizes civilian readiness to ensure society can function normally during conflicts, with civilians, businesses, and health services prepared to support military efforts.
Norway is hosting key parts of the exercise and has declared 2026 as the year of 'total defence' to further improve civilian and military cooperation.
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