Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he aims to have a package to strengthen Arctic security ready by the NATO summit in July, after the U.S. proposed a framework to defuse a dispute over Greenland. Stubb called for closer cooperation among the five Nordic countries, the United States and Canada and highlighted Finland's personnel trained for Arctic operations. He praised Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for helping bridge differences and urged unity within NATO and the EU on Greenland policy.
Finnish President Pushes For Arctic Security Plan Ahead Of NATO July Summit
Finland's President Alexander Stubb attends the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2026. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
DAVOS, Switzerland — Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he wants a concrete plan to strengthen Arctic security ready by NATO's July summit, following a U.S. announcement of a framework aimed at easing tensions over Greenland's future.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had secured "total and permanent" U.S. access to Greenland under what he described as an accord with NATO, and NATO leaders warned allies they must increase their commitment to Arctic security amid perceived strategic competition from Russia and China.
The U.S. move came as Trump dropped threats to impose tariffs on eight European allies over their opposition to his Greenland initiative and said the United States would not seize the large, mineral-rich island by force. Greenland remains an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Stubb said he wants a package of measures to bolster Arctic security that would be "not dissimilar" to the comprehensive defence commitments agreed in The Hague last June, when NATO leaders supported a significant rise in defence spending.
Scandinavian Members Key To Any Arctic Architecture
"In an ideal world, we would have something ready by the NATO summit in Ankara," Stubb told Reuters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. He argued that a more robust Arctic security architecture should be built on closer cooperation among the five Nordic countries—Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland—together with the United States and Canada.
Stubb noted Finland's operational experience in the region: "We have one million women and men who've done their military service in Arctic conditions," he said, underscoring Finland's human resources and training tailored to cold-weather operations.
"I think it's completely justified for President Trump to ask Europeans to do more about their defence, and also to pay more for the alliance and have more capability," Stubb said. "The stronger NATO is, the better off we are."
Stubb also praised Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte for helping to find common ground with the United States on Greenland, and said he remained optimistic about NATO's future despite recent tensions. He expressed confidence that EU leaders would present a united position on Greenland and said it was important to respect the perspectives of Denmark's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen.
While Washington has framed its Greenland outreach as a response to alleged Chinese and Russian ambitions in the Arctic, critics warn that unilateral approaches risk straining alliances and could reignite trade disputes with Europe.
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