Denmark proposes NATO mandate to protect Greenland and the Arctic
The Danish government has proposed introducing a NATO mandate for Greenland and the Arctic region. This was announced by Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels. According to him, the position has been agreed with the Greenlandic government in Nuuk.
Rutte confirmed NATO's readiness to continue cooperating with Denmark and Greenland on Arctic security issues. He emphasised the strategic importance of the region and noted Copenhagen's growing investment in security. The Alliance, he said, will act in close coordination with its allies.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump criticised European leaders for resisting his idea of gaining control over Greenland. In an interview with NBC News, he said that Europe should focus on Russia's war against Ukraine, not Greenland. Trump has also previously repeated the claim that Denmark is allegedly unable to guarantee the island's security from threats from Russia or China.
Trump first voiced the idea of acquiring Greenland in 2019, during his first presidential term. At that time, Copenhagen and the island's authorities publicly rejected the proposal, stressing that Greenland was not for sale. After Trump's return to the White House in January 2025, the rhetoric intensified again. The US introduced or announced import duties for some European countries that reject the change in the island's status, and the EU declared its readiness to take retaliatory measures.
Source and photo: DW
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