Greenland/NASA / Ames Research Center, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

AMSTERDAM/BRUSSELS / COPENHAGEN (Worthy News) – NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has urged alliance members to jointly protect Greenland, as a senior European Union official warned that any U.S. military takeover of the strategic Arctic territory would spell the end of NATO.

EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said Monday in Sweden that if the United States were to seize Greenland by force, “that would mean the end of NATO,” underscoring growing concern within Europe over tensions involving the Arctic island, which is part of NATO member Denmark.

Kubilius added that EU member states would be obligated to come to Denmark’s aid if it were subjected to American aggression, stressing that Greenland remains Danish territory under international law.

Rutte said NATO must collectively ensure the security of Greenland and the wider Arctic region against rivals such as Russia and China, noting that all NATO countries — including the United States — agree on the strategic importance of the High North.

According to alliance officials, NATO is discussing “next steps” to strengthen Arctic security, possibly including a new military mission in the region.

The remarks come amid reports that U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of taking control of Greenland, arguing that Denmark has failed to adequately defend the island, which he says is vital to American security.

TWO DOG SLEDS

“You know what their defense is? Two dog sleds,” he told reporters aboard the Air Force One presidential plane. “In the meantime you have Russian destroyers and submarines and China [with] destroyers and submarines all over the place.”

Trump has claimed Greenland represents the shortest route for potential Russian or Chinese missile threats to the United States, while melting Arctic ice is making the region more accessible to foreign naval forces.

European diplomats say Denmark and its allies are working behind the scenes to prevent any drastic U.S. action, including through a possible joint deterrence operation reportedly dubbed Arctic Sentry.

While Rutte has avoided public confrontation with Washington, European NATO members are privately pressing for a stronger collective response and faster progress toward an alliance-led mission in the Arctic, diplomats in Brussels said.

The Netherland, Rutte’s native country, has indicated it would be “favorably inclined” to participate in such a NATO mission, caretaker Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans confirmed.

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