NATO moves toward compromise amid Greenland dispute among allies

(MENAFN) NATO appears to be moving toward a “straightforward compromise” regarding disagreements among its members over Greenland, according to a senior alliance official on Sunday.

Lt. Gen. Remigijus Baltrenas, director general of NATO’s International Military Staff, told a European broadcaster that ongoing consultations within the alliance are fostering “greater understanding and pragmatism.”

“This is, first and foremost, a matter of bilateral relations between two states,” Baltrenas said, noting that talks led by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and ambassadors from member nations were making progress “in a positive direction.”

He emphasized that any eventual resolution should serve “the alliance as a whole, for Europe, and for the United States itself.”

Baltrenas highlighted NATO’s already substantial presence in the Arctic, pointing to regular military exercises involving U.S. and Canadian forces under the NORAD framework, some of which take place in Greenland. “The current political tensions had no impact on those drills, nor on other routine exercises,” he said, adding that Denmark has recently suggested the possibility of a NATO mission in Greenland.

He also noted the growing strategic importance of the Arctic, driven by Russian and Chinese interest in the Northern Sea Route, and explained that Sweden and Finland, NATO’s newest members, are now fully integrated into the alliance’s regional defense planning.

On the situation in Ukraine, Baltrenas said that post-war security guarantees are still under discussion following recent coalition meetings. “What is clear is that Ukraine’s armed forces themselves are the primary guarantor of security,” he said.

Amid ongoing European debate over strategic autonomy, Baltrenas stressed that NATO must remain the foundation of continental defense, while the European Union should focus on economic and political tools.

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