NATO announces Arctic defence plan, US excluded

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte didn’t cite Donald Trump’s constant threats as the reason for Arctic Sentry. Instead, he pointed the blame at China and Russia, two countries that have also expressed a desire to own land in the Arctic. Russia has been trying to extend its control over the High North since 2001, and China has been looking to expand into the Arctic for years. Beijing is still pushing for a ‘Polar Silk Road’ under Chinese government control. NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, called the High North one of the world’s most significant areas, as well as one of the most environmentally unique.

On January 22, the heads of all 27 European Union member states gathered in Brussels to hold an emergency meeting regarding Greenland. The meeting was held to ensure unity around the principles of international law and national sovereignty and to secure unity in full support and solidarity with Denmark and Greenland. The meeting was reportedly focused on finding a way to appease Donald Trump’s wishes while securing Greenland’s self-governance and Denmark’s control over the nation. It’s unknown whether Arctic Sentry was a topic of conversation that day, but Donald Trump was not at the meeting, and he was seemingly in the dark about the Arctic Sentry mission.  

While Trump has claimed he won’t take Greenland by force, he’s also made a slew of veiled threats against Greenland and NATO over the last three months. Trump has claimed that if NATO cedes control of Greenland to the U.S., then America would be very appreciative, but if NATO denies Trump’s wishes, America will remember. He’s also said that if he chooses to use force, the U.S. would be unstoppable, but he doesn’t want to use his ‘unstoppable’ force. Trump has been obsessed with Greenland since March 2025, and even though he has taken his foot off the gas re. Greenland post-Davos, he’s far from forgotten about the country.

Trump’s desire to own Greenland is slightly confusing. He has frequently devalued the nation, calling it ‘a block of ice’ among other slights. At the same time, Trump has made his intentions to acquire Greenland clear during his second term, and his speech at Davos in January confirmed that he is not willing to let the issue go. Trump announced after the WEF that he had successfully argued for a framework for a Greenland deal, but the deal does not appear to give the U.S. control over Greenland. The deal involves multiple countries working together to ensure the Arctic is protected from external threats and reportedly gives Trump control over some Greenlandic minerals. As of February 11, there is no official written deal. All public information on the deal has been released by NATO representatives to the media.

During NATO’s meeting on February 12, US Secretary of State Pete Hegseth was glaringly absent. Donald Trump has been fairly transparent about his reluctance to participate in NATO, and he’s been anything but quiet in his criticism of NATO allies. With Trump not even making a statement about Arctic Sentry, Trump has either fallen asleep in the Oval Office again, or he’s giving NATO the silent treatment like a jealous teenager. Even if Arctic Sentry isn’t exactly world-changing, the US once took pride in leading NATO’s military programs and projects.

Multiple European countries have already outlined how they will support Project Arctic Sentry. The UK announced it would commit to doubling the number of British troops in Norway over the next three years, from 1,000 to 2,000. Sweden has said it will send fighter jets to monitor the High North, specifically to patrol Iceland and Greenland. France, Germany and Denmark have said they will also take part but have not said how many troops would be involved. Canada announced it would be taking part in Operation Arctic Sentry, but Prime Minister Mark Carney did not outline how.