The German News Agency reported that the government in Berlin intends to submit a formal proposal during meetings of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to establish a joint mission known as “The Polar Guardian”.
According to the agency, the mission would mirror the “Baltic Protection” model, through permanent naval and aerial patrols aimed at ensuring regional security and monitoring increasing Russian and Chinese movements in the area.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in coordination with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is leading efforts to convince Washington that Europe is capable of protecting its “backyard”, according to the report.
In the same context, the German magazine Der Spiegel said that European leaders are seeking, through strengthening military presence, to send a decisive message that Greenland is a “red line”, and that any attempt to alter its legal status would face strong opposition from NATO.
For its part, Bloomberg quoted informed sources as saying that European leaders are moving quickly to formulate a joint strategy to demonstrate that Europe and NATO control security in the region. The aim, the sources said, is to undermine the argument of US President Donald Trump regarding taking control of Greenland.
The report added that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer believes it is in the interest of his country and Europe to persuade Trump of the value of Europe’s soft and hard power tools that are beneficial to the United States.
Reuters also quoted Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken as saying that NATO must launch an operation in the Arctic to address American security concerns. He called for transatlantic unity amid growing European anxiety over the US president’s ambitions to take control of Greenland.
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul confirmed that if the US president is assessing the threats that Russian or Chinese ships or submarines may pose in the region, “we can certainly find joint solutions”. He added that “the future of Greenland should be decided by the people of Greenland” and Denmark.
Previously, Trump said that the United States should take control of Greenland, which enjoys self-rule and is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, to prevent Russia or China from occupying the strategically located and mineral-rich island. He justified his position by arguing that he does not believe the current US military presence there is sufficient to achieve this objective.
