NATO Secretary General Responds to US Claims Over Greenland

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that he does not engage in the issue of US claims over Greenland, emphasizing the importance of discussing Arctic security in general.

“Because I want us to focus on the real issue – the defense of the Arctic. That is a much broader problem than Greenland,” Rutte said, responding to why he is steering away from the topic.

He reminded that Denmark, which includes Greenland, is just one of the Arctic countries along with the US, Canada, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Notably, he did not mention Russia or Finland, which joined NATO in 2023, as Arctic countries.

“We need to address serious issues,” Rutte added. According to him, these issues relate to the actions of Russia and China in the Arctic.

Previously, US President Donald Trump had stated that Greenland would be under US control “one way or another” and promised wealth to the island's inhabitants if they joined the United States. Commenting on the prospect of Greenland becoming US territory, Trump said on March 28 that the island is needed for the US from a security standpoint, and there is no choice in this matter. Trump also highlighted that the Danish island is essential for the US to ensure international security, pointing out the alleged risks from China and Russia.