Germany proposes NATO military mission to protect Greenland — Bloomberg
Illustrative photo: The new mission could be based on the existing Baltic Sentry mission (Getty Images)
Germany may propose setting up a joint NATO mission to officially monitor and protect the security interests of the Alliance in the Arctic region. In reality, however, the main task of the new mission would be to defend Greenland, according to Bloomberg.
The sources report that the model for the new mission could be the existing Baltic Sentry, established a year ago to protect NATO's security in the Baltic Sea. The mission, which could be named Arctic Sentry, would focus on ensuring Greenland's security.
After the success of the operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, US President Donald Trump returned to the idea of establishing control over Greenland. The island belongs to Denmark, a US NATO ally, but this does not deter Trump, who justifies it on national security grounds.
Trump's ambitions have sparked outrage in Europe. German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil said the US must respect Denmark, Greenland's sovereignty (which has self-governing status), and international law.
"It is solely a matter for Denmark and Greenland to decide on the future of Greenland. Territorial sovereignty and integrity must be respected. These principles of international law apply to everyone — including the United States," he said.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is expected to visit Washington in the coming days. There, he will meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and plans to discuss Greenland with him.
"Where there are different views, we want to work on these differences in dialog in order to do justice to our shared responsibility for peace and security... The legitimate interests of all NATO allies, but also those of the inhabitants of the region, must be at the heart of our considerations. Of course, this also applies to Greenland and its people," the Minister told the media.
Germany's idea is not the only one that has emerged within NATO. The UK has begun talks with European allies about the possible deployment of military forces in Greenland to strengthen security in the Arctic and ease concerns expressed by US President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, Trump does not rule out the possibility of Greenland's return, even at the cost of NATO’s collapse. The US President considers the Alliance ineffective without the United States' leading role.
Denmark has reacted sharply to such ambitions from the US. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen urged Trump to stop threatening Greenland and to respect the Kingdom's sovereignty. In Greenland, representatives of all five political parties have stated that Greenlandic people do not want to become Americans.
