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(Bloomberg) — Germany will propose setting up a joint NATO mission to monitor and protect security interests in the Arctic region in a bid to ease tensions with the US over its threats to annex Greenland, according to two people familiar with the government’s thinking.
NATO’s “Baltic Sentry” mission — kicked off a year ago to shield critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea — could serve as blueprint for a new “Arctic Sentry” mission, which would include Greenland, said the people, who declined to be identified discussing confidential plans.
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While US President Donald Trump has long mused about making Greenland a part of the US for national security reasons, his focus on the self-governing island that’s part of the Kingdom of Denmark has intensified in recent days following the audacious US raid to capture the leader of Venezuela.
That action has sparked new fears among allies over Trump’s willingness to deploy the military to achieve his foreign policy goals. His fiery rhetoric over Greenland has spurred a flurry of diplomatic activity as officials try to ascertain his intentions.
On Sunday, Germany’s vice chancellor — who’s flying to Washington this week for a meeting of finance ministers convened by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent — called on the US to respect Greenland’s sovereignty and international law. Group of Seven ministers will be in attendance as well as officials from Australia, South Korea, India, Mexico and the European Union.
“It is solely a matter for Denmark and Greenland to decide on the future of Greenland,” said Lars Klingbeil, who also is Germany’s finance chief. “Territorial sovereignty and integrity must be respected. These principles of international law apply to everyone — including the United States. We are working together as NATO allies to increase security in the Arctic, not against each other.”
Klingbeil isn’t the only top German official visiting the US capital this week. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is also set to meet his American counterpart Marco Rubio there after a visit to Iceland.
“Where there are different views, we want to work on these differences in dialog in order to do justice to our shared responsibility for peace and security,” Wadephul said in a statement before his departure. The North Atlantic is “strategically important for our common security,” he said, adding that he plans to discuss how best to “bear this responsibility in NATO — in view of old and new rivalries in the region by Russia and China – together.”
