NATO launches the “Arctic Monitoring” mission.
NATO officially launched the Arctic Monitoring Mission on February 11 in an effort to improve the alliance’s military posture in the Arctic region.
The move comes in the wake of recent tensions between Denmark and the United States, two NATO allies, over the political future of Greenland. When it was first introduced last month, several Diplomats told RFE/RL A potential mission in the Arctic could be a way out of a growing crisis.
After a meeting between US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte last month DavosIn Switzerland, it was agreed that NATO would play a greater role around Greenland to confront potential Chinese and Russian interference around the island and in the Arctic in general.
Speaking at a press conference in Brussels on February 11, Rutte said: “For the first time we will put everything we do in the Arctic under one command. Not only will we benefit from everything we do, but we will also see what gaps there are and we will fill them,” adding, “We are doing this because we have a clear sense that the Russians and the Chinese are becoming more active there.”
In a press release announcing the launch, NATO Supreme Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich said, “Arctic Sentry underscores the Alliance’s commitment to protecting its members and maintaining stability in one of the world’s most strategically important and environmentally challenging regions,” adding that it will “leverage NATO’s strength to protect our territories and ensure the Arctic and High North remain secure.”
No details have yet emerged about the number of NATO countries participating in the mission or troop levels, although the military alliance has confirmed that it is “multi-domain”, meaning it will cover air, sea and land.
NATO also said that the Danish Arctic Endurance exercise with 11 other European NATO countries is currently taking place in and around Greenland and the upcoming Cold Response exercise in northern Norway and Finland involving 25,000 troops, including US forces, will form part of Arctic Sentry.
Seven of the eight so-called Arctic nations are members of NATO, with Russia being the glaring exception. Although the waters around Greenland are not full of Russian and Chinese ships at the moment, that may change as the Arctic sea ice melts and new sea lanes open.
Arctic Sentry comes after NATO set up similar missions in 2025 that are still underway Baltic Sea – In response to the alleged Russian sabotage of submarine cables – and to the coalition The eastern side — After the Russian drone incursion into Poland in September.
