Britain is discussing with NATO allies how it can help bolster security in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia and China, a government minister said Sunday, framing the effort as routine alliance work rather than a response to renewed U.S. pressure over Greenland.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the talks were “business as usual” rather than linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about Greenland, a semiautonomous region of NATO ally Denmark. She said Britain agrees with Trump that Russia and China are increasingly becoming more competitive in the Arctic Circle.
Trump has said he would like to make a deal to acquire Greenland to prevent Russia or China from taking it over, and he reiterated his interest during the weekend. He told reporters aboard Air Force One that “One way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland,” and said Sunday night that making a deal would be “easier” while also insisting the United States needed to acquire Greenland.
Greenland, with a population of around 57,000, is defended by Denmark, whose military is described as far smaller than the U.S. force stationed on the island. Denmark’s prime minister has warned that any takeover would threaten NATO, but Trump dismissed that idea, saying “I like NATO” and encouraging member countries to boost defense spending.
In remarks carried by the Associated Press story, Trump also questioned whether NATO would be there for the United States if it needed the alliance. The article noted that NATO’s Article 5 common defense guarantee has been invoked once, after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, leading to NATO’s operation in Afghanistan.
Tensions between the U.S. and Denmark have grown since the Trump administration renewed its warnings against Greenland. Denmark’s ambassador to the U.S., Jesper Møller Sørensen, responded to a social media post by newly tapped U.S. Greenland envoy Jeff Landry, who said the U.S. defended Greenland’s sovereignty during World War II when Denmark couldn’t.
Sørensen said Denmark has always stood alongside the U.S., particularly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and he said only Greenlanders should decide their future. In the response, he wrote: “Let’s continue to address security challenges in the Arctic as partners & allies.”
The Associated Press report said Danish officials are meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week. In London, Alexander also told the BBC that while the U.K. has not seen in the Arctic the “appalling consequences” it has seen in Ukraine, it is important for NATO allies to ensure an effective deterrent in the region against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In Britain’s political debate around Greenland, former ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson said he did not think Trump would take Greenland by force. Mandelson said, “He’s not a fool,” and added that the Arctic needs securing against China and Russia, saying that if asked who would lead, “we all know,” it would be the United States.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey suggested Britain could deploy troops to Greenland in a joint command with Denmark. Davey said, “If Trump is serious about security, he’d agree to participate and drop his outrageous threats,” and he added that “Tearing the NATO alliance apart would only play into the hands of Putin.”
The report said it remained unclear how remaining NATO members would respond if the U.S. decided to forcibly take control of the island, or whether Denmark would receive support.