NATO plans to launch the Arctic Guard mission to strengthen monitoring of the Arctic region and respond to the United States’ reservations about its security. Defense ministers in Brussels can decide on the start of the mission already this week.
The North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) could launch a mission called Arctic Sentry in the coming days. Its aim will be to strengthen monitoring and military capabilities in the Arctic region, as well as to weaken the arguments of the United States that security in this area is not sufficiently guaranteed. This was stated by five sources familiar with the negotiations for the Reuters agency, reports TASR.
- NATO plans to launch the Arctic Guard mission soon.
- The goal is to strengthen monitoring and military capabilities in the Arctic.
- The defense ministers of the member countries are discussing the decision in Brussels.
- The mission is to make more effective use of existing NATO capacities.
- The planning of the mission began after the negotiations between Trump and the head of NATO.
The defense ministers of the NATO member countries could decide on the start of the mission already during this week’s meeting in Brussels. According to diplomats, the Arctic Guard could include military exercises, enhanced surveillance, as well as the deployment of additional ships and air assets, including drones.
Strengthening regional security
However, the mission is likely to focus on making more effective use of existing NATO capabilities in the region rather than significantly strengthening military forces, the sources said.
NATO confirmed last week that it had begun planning the mission following talks between US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The talks helped ease tensions sparked by Trump’s comments about the possible acquisition of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.
