NATO and Denmark Agree to Strengthen Arctic Security After Trump Steps Back From Greenland Threats
By: Ebenezer Adu-Gyamfi/Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada 24/1/2026
NATO’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen have agreed that the alliance needs to step up security efforts in the Arctic region particularly around Greenland after U.S. President Donald Trump backed away from earlier threats to seize the island.
The decision came during talks in Brussels this week. Rutte and Frederiksen said NATO must work more closely together to deter threats from Russia and China and ensure the high north remains secure for all alliance members.
Trump had recently dropped his threat to use tariffs and force to gain control of Greenland, which is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Instead, he said he reached a framework agreement with NATO leadership that addressed U.S. security concerns in the region though exactly what that framework includes has not been publicly detailed.
Denmark and Greenland have made it clear that sovereignty over the island is not up for negotiation, and any increased foreign military presence will be done only with their consent. Frederiksen has said NATO should have a stronger and more permanent Arctic presence, but Denmark will not compromise on who controls Greenland.
Officials also noted that existing treaties including a 1951 agreement that governs U.S. military use of Greenland may be revisited and updated to reflect the new security focus.
The developments follow weeks of diplomatic tension over Trump’s earlier comments about the island’s strategic importance remarks that led other European countries to publicly support Denmark’s position and emphasize respect for international law and territorial integrity.
In summary, NATO and Denmark are reinforcing Arctic cooperation while rejecting any suggestion of forced territorial change, aiming instead for a united defense role across the region.
