Denmark has been subjected to enormous pressure from US President Donald Trump in the showdown over Greenland.
However, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte does not expect tensions between Denmark and the US at Thursday's meeting at NATO headquarters.
On the contrary, the Arctic Sentry mission has created a new gathering on the Arctic, says Mark Rutte on his way to the meeting.
- As an alliance, we gathered to discuss the threat assessment in relation to the Arctic. It is Greenland, yes, but it includes the entire Arctic area, so it also includes our new allies from Sweden and Finland, who bring a lot of experience with the Arctic to the table.
- So we have the ability to defend the area. And with Arctic Sentry, we ensure that Russia and China are not allowed into the Arctic, says Mark Rutte.
At a crucial meeting in the Swiss city of Davos, Rutte managed to reach an agreement with Trump to focus on the defense of the Arctic rather than American ownership of Greenland.
The US has since supported Arctic Sentry, which can thus be seen as a provisional response to Trump's concerns about security in the region.
According to NATO sources, Russia and China are increasing their presence here. In Russia's case, this is happening with military bases and submarines, while China, according to a senior NATO source, is carrying out "research missions" that may be a cover for gathering military intelligence.
However, it remains unclear to what extent the US itself will contribute to Arctic Sentry.
The Trump administration has repeatedly sent signals that it wants Europe to take significantly greater responsibility for its own security.
This applies to the defense of Europe, Ukraine and the Arctic.
Trump has made it clear that the United States will remain in the NATO alliance, but US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will not be attending Thursday's meeting of NATO defense ministers.
This can be seen as another sign that the United States is lowering its priority in NATO without leaving the alliance. The United States is therefore represented at a lower level at the meeting on Thursday by Undersecretary for Defense Policy Elbridge Colby.
Mark Rutte expresses understanding for the American priorities.
- I am in regular contact with Pete Hegseth, the American president, and the senior members of the Trump administration.
- But the United States must take care of the whole world. NATO is important, but there is also the Indo-Pacific region, so I understand the priorities, says Mark Rutte.
/ritzau/
