NATO has begun military planning for a new Arctic security mission known as Arctic Sentry, the alliance confirmed on Tuesday, as political tensions grow between the United States and several European allies over Greenland.
Colonel Martin O'Donnell, spokesperson for NATO's military headquarters, the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), said preparations were underway for what he described as an 'enhanced vigilance activity'. He confirmed earlier reporting by German magazine Der Spiegel but declined to provide further operational details, noting that planning remained at an early stage.
The move comes amid repeated comments by US President Donald Trump expressing interest in acquiring Greenland. Trump has accused European allies of failing to adequately secure the strategically important Arctic island against potential threats from Russia and China.
Those remarks have triggered a diplomatic dispute with Denmark, which governs Greenland as an overseas territory, and have added to broader strains within the NATO alliance over Arctic responsibility and security burden-sharing.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Arctic security featured prominently in discussions with Trump during their meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January. According to Rutte, talks focused on how NATO members could work collectively to protect the Arctic region.
He stressed that Arctic security extends beyond Greenland alone, noting that seven NATO member states have territory within the Arctic Circle, making the region a shared strategic concern for the alliance.
Denmark has responded positively to NATO's announcement. Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen described the start of military planning as a welcome development, saying closer cooperation among allies was essential.
'It is crucial that we work together with our NATO allies to increase security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic,' Poulsen said in a post on social media platform X.
It remains unclear whether NATO defence ministers will formally discuss Arctic Sentry at their meeting in Brussels on February 12. Under NATO rules, however, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe currently US General Alexus Grynkewich has the authority to plan and carry out enhanced vigilance activities without requiring unanimous approval from all member states.
This mechanism allows NATO to respond quickly to emerging security challenges, particularly in strategically sensitive regions such as the Arctic.
with inputs from Reuters