NATO defence ministers are likely to take up measures to strengthen the security of Greenland when they meet next week in Brussels, British defence minister John Healey told Reuters. The discussions follow heightened tensions arising from U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that he wants Greenland and his claims that European allies have not adequately secured the territory.
Trump’s comments earlier provoked a dispute with Denmark, the NATO member responsible for Greenland as an overseas territory, and placed strains on the defence alliance. Those strains eased after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he had engaged President Trump in talks about how NATO members could cooperate to ensure security in the Arctic, but specific plans have not been widely released.
Healey described a proposed NATO mission, dubbed 'Arctic Sentry', as a means for allied nations "to demonstrate to President Trump that we’re already stepping up on Greenland’s security, that we accept and agree that he’s got a point of concern". He emphasised the messaging element of the initiative while noting ongoing operational planning.
"Trump’s put his finger on a challenge. What we’re demonstrating to him is that NATO’s already on it," Healey said, adding that nations would "step up further."
Healey said he expected "to see more discussions at the NATO Defence Ministers meeting that I’ll be at in Brussels next week". NATO has initiated military planning for 'Arctic Sentry' and describes it as an enhanced vigilance mission in the area; however, it had not been clear whether the proposal would be on the agenda for the February 12 meeting.
Separately, Healey noted that Britain has increased its defence spending in response to the war in Ukraine and to pressure from President Trump for NATO allies to raise their defence outlays. Speaking on the sidelines of an event where 10 smaller companies presented technology to potential investors, he said he wanted to attract "sources of private capital that haven’t looked at defence before" so that the record rise in public defence investment could be matched by private investment.
The discussion framing 'Arctic Sentry' as both a demonstration of collective intent and the start of military planning highlights the dual political and operational dimensions of NATO’s approach to Arctic security. At the same time, the exact scope and timing of any formal ministerial endorsement remain unclear pending next week’s meeting.