Photo: Odd Andersen / AFP
In response to a request from Denmark, Finland will send two liaison officers to Greenland as NATO members enhance joint military cooperation in the Arctic.
According to Danish officials, the exercise currently underway, known as Operation Arctic Endurance, aims to lay the foundation for a rotational force based on the island, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“This has been a goal throughout Finland’s NATO membership,” said Antti Häkkänen, Finland’s Minister of Defence. “Our security improves when our allies develop their capabilities to operate in the Arctic.”
Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt said after a recent meeting with US officials in Washington that while Greenland seeks closer cooperation with the US, it does not intend to become American territory. “We want partnership, not ownership,” she said.
The high-level meeting in Washington included talks between Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers, US Vice President J. D. Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Although no policy changes were agreed, the parties announced the formation of a new working group to continue discussions.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen acknowledged that fundamental disagreements remain. “The US and Denmark still differ on key principles concerning Greenland’s autonomy and territorial integrity,” he said.