Britain is holding talks with NATO partners about strengthening Arctic security to deter rising Russian and Chinese activity, officials said. The discussions were described as routine and not solely a response to President Trump’s comments about acquiring Greenland. Greenland — a semiautonomous Danish territory with a U.S. military presence — has become a focal point for debate over allied defense and deterrence. Senior British politicians urged coordinated NATO action to avoid fractures in the alliance.
UK Holds NATO Talks To Bolster Arctic Security Amid Greenland Controversy
FILE -Danish military forces participate in an exercise with hundreds of troops from several European NATO members in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
Britain is consulting NATO partners about ways to strengthen security in the Arctic as activity from Russia and China increases, a British politician, Heidi Alexander, said Sunday. Officials described the conversations as routine planning rather than an immediate response to recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump about Greenland.
Trump And Greenland
"We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not," President Trump said, expressing interest in negotiating a deal to acquire Greenland — the semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark — to prevent perceived strategic encroachment by Russia or China.
Greenland, home to roughly 57,000 people, is defended by Denmark and hosts at least one U.S. military base. Denmark’s prime minister has warned that any attempt to seize the island would threaten NATO unity.
Allied Concerns And Responses
Alexander said the U.K. shares concerns about growing Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic Circle and stressed the importance of allied deterrence. "Whilst we haven’t seen the appalling consequences in that part of the world that we’ve seen in Ukraine, it is really important that we do everything that we can with all of our NATO allies to ensure that we have an effective deterrent in that part of the globe against (Russian President Vladimir) Putin," she told the BBC.
Veteran Labour politician Peter Mandelson urged renewed focus on Arctic security, saying the region will require coordinated leadership and resources to deter rival powers. "We are all going to have to wake up to the reality that the Arctic needs securing against China and Russia," he said.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey proposed that Britain could offer to deploy troops to Greenland under a joint command with Denmark. "If Trump is serious about security, he’d agree to participate and drop his outrageous threats," Davey said, warning that divisions within NATO would play into Russia’s hands.
What Happens Next
It remains unclear how other NATO members would respond if the United States attempted to take control of Greenland by force or whether they would come to Denmark’s aid. For now, NATO discussions appear focused on strengthening surveillance, cooperation and deterrence in the High North to manage growing strategic competition.
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