U.S. Demands for Greenland Risk NATO Crisis

A White House meeting on Arctic policy ended in a stand-off, raising fears of a historic rift within the NATO military alliance. The dispute centers on Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory. The U.S. President has increased demands for control over the strategically important island. Danish officials have stated that any attempt to seize Greenland by force would be unacceptable. Such an action, analysts warn, would directly threaten the future of NATO. The alliance is founded on the collective defense of member territories, which includes Denmark. Greenland possesses rare minerals and holds growing geopolitical value as Arctic ice melts. The U.S. maintains a major air base there, but the Danish government has consistently rejected selling the island.