The Greenland government stated this Thursday (22) that it is open to discussing a greater military presence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the Arctic, including a more permanent mission of the alliance in the autonomous Danish territory, as long as the “red lines” of the island’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected.
According to Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen at a press conference in Nuuk, the local government’s priority is to strengthen regional security.
“We want to strengthen security in the Arctic through important initiatives, including a more permanent NATO mission in Greenland and a greater military presence and more maneuvers,” he said.
According to Nielsen, there is still no knowledge about the specific content of a possible agreement that would be discussed between the United States and NATO involving Greenland. He said he was willing to talk about “many things”, as long as there is “mutual respect” and that the limits related to the sovereignty of the territory are not exceeded.
The prime minister stated that representatives from Greenland and Denmark exposed these conditions directly to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “The discussions addressed the common objective of doing more in terms of security. And we agree on that,” he said.
Nielsen avoided commenting on the possible inclusion of Greenland in the American missile defense system known as the “Golden Dome” and clarified that there were no discussions about minerals or other subsoil resources on the island. According to him, “only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark can reach agreements on Greenland”.
The leader of the Greenlandic government also stated that he received positively the statement from the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who ruled out the use of military force to take control of the island during the World Economic Forum in Davos. Nielsen called previous annexation rhetoric “unacceptable” and said he sought “respectful dialogue through diplomacy.”
