NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Thursday that discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump in Davos focused on defending the Arctic against potential influence from Russia and China. Trump, who had previously expressed interest in acquiring Greenland for national security reasons, stepped back from threats of force on Wednesday and suggested a potential framework for resolving the dispute with Denmark.
The U.S. president’s past ambitions had strained relations within NATO, raising concerns among European allies over territorial sovereignty and alliance cohesion.
Arctic Security Focus
Rutte described his discussion with Trump as “very good,” emphasizing collective action by NATO allies to strengthen Arctic security. The talks covered Greenland as well as the seven NATO member states with land in the Arctic region.
The NATO secretary general noted that further discussions would build on a recent Washington meeting involving the United States, Denmark, and Greenland. He said one key objective was to ensure that neither China nor Russia gains access to Greenland’s economy or military facilities, highlighting the strategic importance of the region amid rising global competition.
With information from Reuters