NATO Secretary-General Says Allies Are Discussing Steps to Safeguard Arctic Security

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Monday that allied countries are discussing "next steps" to ensure security in the Arctic, citing the risk that Russia and China could become "more active" in this strategic region.

"All allies agree on the importance of the Arctic and Arctic security, because we know that with the opening of the sea lanes, there is a risk that Russia and China will become more active. And as you know, there are eight Arctic countries," Rutte told reporters at a joint press conference with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb, launching Anadolu (12/1).

Furthermore, he said seven of the eight Arctic states are NATO members - the US, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden - while Russia remains the only Arctic state outside the alliance.

China, he added, has also become an increasingly active player in the region despite having no geographical presence.

"Currently, China is almost a kind of Arctic country, not geographically, but at least in terms of its many activities and interests in the region," Rutte explained.

He noted that NATO had completed internal discussions last year on how to strengthen cooperation among its Arctic members and is now working on "practical follow-up" measures.

"Right now, we are discussing the next steps, how to ensure that we provide a practical follow-up to these discussions to ensure that, as an alliance, we do everything, collectively and through our individual allies, to ensure that the Arctic remains safe, because we all agree that it must be a priority," he said.

Rutte said NATO had been more involved in Arctic security since 2025 at the request of its seven Arctic allies, calling the region "an important part of the NATO area."

His remarks come amid reports that a group of European countries, led by Britain and Germany, plan to expand their military presence in Greenland.

"You have seen some announcements from the UK and Germany," Rutte said.

"Today we are working together to see how we can basically come together as an alliance to build the next steps," he said.

On relations with the US, Rutte played down concerns about an internal crisis within NATO, praising US President Donald Trump's push to increase defence spending among allies.

"I believe Donald Trump is doing the right thing for NATO by encouraging us all to spend more money to match what the US spends," he said.

"When I praise someone, it is based on facts, and I believe those facts exist," Rutte said.