Denmark has asked NATO for a permanent presence on Greenland, as US President Donald Trump holds firm on his threats to take control of the Arctic island.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the increased NATO presence in the Baltic Sea and the Baltic States could serve as a model for this, according to reports by the Ritzau news agency on Tuesday.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt had requested a NATO mission for the Arctic region during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday.
Frederiksen said “a stronger NATO strategy was positively received” at the meeting with the defence alliance head in Brussels.
NATO launched an operation dubbed “Baltic Sentry” last year to secure the Baltic Sea following repeated attacks on critical underwater infrastructure. Ritzau reported that Frederiksen suggested this concept could be transferred to the Arctic.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to annex Greenland – which belongs to NATO member Denmark – in recent weeks, claiming that Denmark is unable to adequately ensure security in and around the island.
Denmark and its European allies have rejected Trump’s advances, while Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has stressed that the island does not want to join the US.
In view of the tense situation, Denmark is strengthening its military presence in the territory. Last week, soldiers from several European NATO countries were on the island for a multi-day Danish-led reconnaissance tour.