NATO is increasing its presence in and around the Arctic after a dispute over Greenland caused a rift between the United States and its European allies.
The initiative, called Arctic Sentinel, “will harness the power of NATO to protect our territories and ensure the security of the Arctic and High North,” Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grunkevich said on Wednesday.
Arctic Sentinel’s goal is to “protect its members and maintain stability in one of the world’s most strategically important and environmentally challenged regions,” Grinkevitch said.
Some allies have suggested boosting NATO’s presence in Greenland to defuse the dispute, and U.S. President Donald Trump has at times threatened to annex the Danish-administered island and said Russia or China could seize it.
After meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in January, Trump announced that a framework for a future agreement on Greenland and the entire Arctic had been drawn up.
The agreement includes ensuring Arctic security through joint action, specifically by the seven Arctic allies: the United States, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland.
