NATO chief refuses to be drawn into commenting on Greenland dispute

Описание: (13 Jan 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brussels, Belgium - 13 January 2026
1. Wide of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arriving on stage to applause
2. Wide of Rutte seated
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General:
"My role as Secretary-General, I'm very clear, I never ever comment when there are discussions within the alliance. We have discussions between Greece and Turkey, we have had discussions between other allies, but then you will see all my predecessors do, and myself, is never comment on that in public. You work behind the scenes, and when it comes to the issue at stake here, and I believe there is a bigger issue at stake here, and that is the defense of the High North, the defense for the Arctic area, there you can be sure that we do everything to protect the whole of the alliance. That's my role, to keep one billion people safe. And that is not only the eastern flank and the US and the southern flank, that is also the Arctic area."
4. Wide of Rutte
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General:
"You have to respect the fact that when there are discussions between allies, my role has to be to make sure we solve issues, and when it comes to the protection of the High North, that is my role. I can never comment on that, that's impossible in public. And what I'm doing with the US and Canada and all our allies in Europe is to make sure that we not only concentrate about Greenland, this is an issue about the High North, this is an issue about Arctic territory. Let's not be naive, even if there are not that many ships sailing at the moment we know that with the sea lanes opening up in the High North, in the Arctic, and this is not only true for Greenland, this is true for the whole Arctic area, it's not only Russia active there, it is increasingly also China being active there. So when it comes to the Arctic region, we have to work together as an alliance, and that's exactly what we are doing."
6. Wide of Rutte
STORYLINE:
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte refused on Tuesday to be drawn into a dispute between the United States and Denmark over Greenland, insisting that it was not his role to get involved.

Rutte also declined an invitation to reassure Greenlanders about their future after the White House said that the Trump administration is studying options to take control of the island, which is part of the realm of Denmark, and refused to rule out using force.

“I never, ever comment when there are discussions within the alliance,” Rutte said, at the European Parliament in Brussels. “My role has to be to make sure we solve issues.”

He said that the 32-nation military organization must focus on providing security in the Arctic region, which includes Greenland.

Pressed about US President Donald Trump’s designs on Greenland and warnings from Denmark that any military action might mean the end of NATO, Rutte said: “I can never comment on that. That's impossible in public.”

Challenged on Trump’s claims that Chinese and Russian ships are active around Greenland, he conceded that “there are not that many ships sailing at the moment” but insisted that more would come with warmer weather.

“This is not only true for Greenland. This is true for the whole Arctic area,” Rutte went on. “It's not only Russia active there, it is increasingly also China being active there.”

AP video shot by: Mark Carlson

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