Greenland calls on NATO to guarantee its defence

Greenland’s government said on Monday it will increase its efforts to ensure that the defence of the Arctic territory takes place under the auspices of NATO, and again rejected US President Donald Trump’s ambition to take over the island.

Trump has suggested that the United States should consider acquiring Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, to prevent Russia or China from occupying the strategically located and mineral-rich region in the future.

“All NATO member states, including the United States, have a common interest in the defence of Greenland,” the island’s coalition government said in a statement.

The European Union’s Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, warned on Monday that a US military takeover of Greenland would be the end of NATO.

The US leader said he would be open to making a deal with the Danish self-governing island, “but one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”