NATO chief: Arctic is a pillar of collective security

BRUSSELS, Jan 19 (KUNA) -- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday stressed the importance of the Arctic region, including Greenland, to the Alliance's collective security, underscoring the need to continue coordination and joint action among Allies on this strategic issue.
The remarks followed his meeting with Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt, during which the discussions focused on the growing importance of the Arctic to collective security, as well as the steps Denmark is taking to strengthen investments in key defence capabilities.
In a statement posted on X, Rutte said he discussed "how important the Arctic including Greenland is to our collective security and how Denmark is stepping up investments in key capabilities," affirming that "Allies will continue to work together on these important issues." For her part, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas affirmed that Denmark and Greenland "are not alone,".
Kallas stressed that Arctic security represents a shared transatlantic interest that can be discussed and addressed with allies in the United States.
In a similar post on X following her meeting with Troels Lund Poulsen and Vivian Motzfeldt, Kallas said that "Arctic security is a shared transatlantic interest." She emphasized that threats of imposing tariffs are "not the right way to deal with these issues," asserting that "sovereignty is not for trade or bargaining." She added, "We have no interest in picking a fight, but we will hold our ground," noting that Europe "has a full set of tools that enable it to protect its interests." (end) arn.ibi