NATO agrees with US President Donald Trump’s concerns about Greenland and is discussing increasing its military presence in the Arctic to counter Russia and China, German news agency DPA has said.
Greenland is an autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO member state, but Trump has repeatedly said the US needs to control it directly as a matter of national security.
“Informal discussions” are under way at NATO to prepare a proposal for Trump involving a “major” troop deployment in the Arctic, unnamed sources told DPA on Friday. The goal is to “ease tensions” between the US and Denmark over Greenland by addressing Washington’s concerns, they added.
Trump’s security concerns about Russian and Chinese activities in the Arctic “are seen as valid” at NATO, according to DPA.
Prior to his inauguration, Trump had a phone conversation about the island with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen that multiple media outlets described as “horrendous” and leaving the Danes “utterly freaked out.”
One recent poll indicated that almost half of the Danes regard the US as a “threat” to their country, 78% oppose selling Greenland, and 72% believe the Arctic island’s residents should decide their own fate.
A separate poll in Greenland indicated that only 6% of locals want to join the US while 85% are opposed.
The issue of Greenland is “particularly delicate” for NATO, the German outlet noted, as having one member threaten to take another’s territory risks damaging the bloc’s credibility.
Both Washington and Copenhagen currently have a military presence in Greenland. Denmark runs the Arctic Command in the territorial capital of Nuuk, while the US operates the Pituffik Space Base, focused on missile defense, early warning and space surveillance.
NATO diplomats believe the success of the Arctic initiative will depend on whether Trump’s interest in Greenland is driven by security concerns or the vast untapped natural resources underneath the ice, according to DPA.
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