'Working to boost Arctic security': Nato chief amid US Greenland threat; Donald Trump claims credit for it too

Nato on Monday sought to project unity on Arctic security even as the alliance grapples with a fresh shock from Washington, as the US President Donald Trump has openly floated taking control of Greenland. Nato chief Mark Rutte said the bloc was working on concrete steps to strengthen Arctic defences amid rising Russian and Chinese activity, while Trump later claimed credit for "saving" the 32-nation alliance.

Rutte’s remarks came as European allies scrambled to contain the fallout from Trump’s ambitions, which have rattled the bloc by refusing to rule out military force against Greenland, an autonomous territory of Nato member Denmark.


"All allies agree on the importance of the Arctic and Arctic security, because we know that with sea lanes opening up there is a risk that the Russians and the Chinese will be more active," AFP quoted Rutte saying.

"Currently we are discussing the next step to that, how to make sure that we give practical follow up on those discussions," he added.

Trump responded by saying that he had strengthened the alliance by pressuring European nations to increase their defence spending.

"I'm the one who SAVED NATO!!!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social. The US president has argued that greater American control over the island is needed to secure the Arctic as melting ice opens new sea routes and heightens strategic competition with Russia and China.

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has cautioned that “if the United States were to launch a military attack on another Nato member, everything would come to a halt — including our Nato.”