Greenland’s security is a NATO matter, says Germany’s Merz

The German chancellor wants to prevent a NATO rupture by portraying Trump’s security concerns regarding Greenland as legitimate.

BERLIN — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he shares U.S. President Donald Trump’s concerns about Greenland’s security and expressed hope that a “mutually acceptable solution” can be found within NATO.

Merz’s comments come as European leaders scramble to convince Trump to back away from his claims on Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO member. Merz’s strategy is to try to keep NATO together by portraying Greenland’s security as a matter for the alliance to handle in cooperation with the U.S.

"We are indeed discussing Greenland within NATO," Merz told reporters during a trip to India on Monday. "We share the American concerns that this part of Denmark needs to be better protected. I hope that we will reach a mutually acceptable solution within NATO.”

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is set to meet his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Washington on Monday to discuss the issue. That meeting comes ahead of a high-level meeting between officials from Greenland, Denmark and the U.S. set for Wednesday.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned last week that a U.S. invasion of Greenland would spell the end of NATO. Members of Merz’s government have taken a rhetorically softer approach in a bid to prevent the alliance from rupturing, depicting Trump as raising legitimate security concerns.

"We simply want to work together to improve the security situation for Greenland,” Merz said Monday. “I assume that the Americans will also participate in this. The extent of their involvement will become clear in the talks over the coming days and weeks.”

Wadephul had a similar message ahead of his meeting with Rubio.

"Donald Trump has a point when he draws attention to the fact that there is an Arctic dimension to security for NATO," Wadephul told public broadcaster ZDF. "That is our common basis, and we should hold talks with each other on that basis. We believe that these issues can and should be addressed from within."

Trump has repeatedly said that Greenland is vital for U.S. security interests, while accusing Denmark of not doing enough to protect it against Chinese and Russian military activity in the Arctic. Experts have largely disputed that claim, saying Moscow and Beijing mostly focus their defense efforts — including joint patrols and military investment — in the eastern Arctic.