NATO is increasing its presence in the Arctic and the surrounding area, after a dispute over Greenland has led to a rift between the United States and European allies.
The initiative called Arctic Sentry “will leverage NATO’s strength to protect our territory and ensure the Arctic and High North remains secure,” said Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Alexus G Grynkewich on Wednesday.
Arctic Sentry aims “to safeguard its members and maintain stability in one of the world’s most strategically significant and environmentally challenging areas,” Grynkewich said.
Enhancing NATO presence in Greenland was suggested by some allies to defuse the dispute over Greenland, in which US President Donald Trump had at times threatened to annex the Danish-administered island, justifying it by saying that Russia or China might otherwise seize it.
Trump announced, after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in January, that a framework for a future agreement on Greenland and the entire Arctic region had been drafted.
The agreement includes ensuring security in the Arctic through joint actions, particularly those of the seven Arctic allies: the US, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland.
Under Arctic Sentry, activities of allies in the region are to be cohered into one operational approach to enhance NATO’s presence, a press release said.
These include a series of multi-domain exercises designed by Denmark to enhance NATO’s ability to operate in the region as well as an upcoming Norwegian exercise where troops from across the alliance have already begun to arrive, the statement said.
“For the first time now, we will bring everything we do in the Arctic together under one command,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told journalists in Brussels after the announcement.
“We will not only be able to leverage what we are doing much more effectively and having a bigger impact. We will also be able to assess which gaps there are which we have to fill,” he said.
The German Armed Forces or Bundeswehr plans to participate in Arctic Sentry with Eurofighter and A400M transport aircraft, according to information obtained by dpa.
Greenland is four-fifths covered with ice, but has only about 57,000 inhabitants.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US President Donald Trump give remarks to the press on the sidelines of the 2025 NATO Summit. NATO is increasing its presence in the Arctic and the surrounding area, after a dispute over Greenland has led to a rift between the United States and European allies. Martijn Beekman/NATO/dpa