Overview
- U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the proposed mission would cover Greenland, Iceland, Finland and key shipping lanes across the High North, and she did not rule out NATO exercises in Greenland.
- Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide endorsed the concept, citing growing cooperation among the seven NATO Arctic states and noting current Russian military activity is focused nearer Norway rather than Greenland.
- The U.K. announced a deployment of one officer to a multinational reconnaissance group in Greenland, while Sweden and Denmark said they will send troops.
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he is working on next steps with allies, as Belgium publicly backed an operation and Germany was reported to be a key proponent.
- The push builds on recent UK actions that include support to the U.S. interdiction of the vessel Bella 1, the JEF’s largest exercise, expanded UK–Norway naval cooperation, and a planned increase in UK defense spending.