NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte boldly declared on Monday that “anyone who thinks Europe can defend itself without the US should ‘dream on.’
“If anyone here thinks again that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the US – you keep dreaming. You can’t,” Rutte told lawmakers in the European Parliament.
Mark Rutte’s comments come days after US President Donald Trump lifted tariffs on US allies in the EU, saying he had reached the outlines of a deal with NATO on the future of Greenland.
“The second work stream is between Denmark, Greenland and the US, which is up to them to ‘continue discussions’,” the NATO chief told the European Parliament.
Rutter also said he and President Donald Trump agreed on “two streams of work” to ease tensions between the US and the European Union over Greenland.
“Two Work Streams in Greenland”
Speaking to members of the European Parliament, Rutte explained that the first “work stream” puts NATO in the lead, with the alliance taking a bigger role in defending the Arctic. The focus, he said, will be on finding the best collective way to stop Russia and China from expanding their influence in the region.
“Basically what was discussed last week, what we finally agreed on, were two work streams: one work stream is for NATO collectively, to take more responsibility for the defense of the Arctic…,” Rutte told members of the European Parliament, Reuters reported.
The second work stream, in which NATO cannot participate, according to Rutte, was the continuation of discussions between the USA, Denmark and Greenland.
What is Denmark’s role in Greenland?
Denmark has ruled Greenland for about 300 years. This despite the fact that the island is almost 3,000 km (1,860 miles) from the Danish mainland.
After the collapse of the monarchy of Denmark and Norway in 1814, Greenland remained under Danish rule. In 1916, the United States recognized Denmark’s rights to Greenland as part of an agreement that also supported the US purchase of the Danish West Indies, according to a report by the Danish Institute of International Studies.
Why is the US interested in Greenland?
Greenland, the world’s largest island, is located between North America and the Arctic, and is well-positioned for early warning systems for missile attacks and for tracking vessels in the region.
During the Cold War, the US considered placing nuclear missiles on the island, but ultimately abandoned the plan due to technical problems and Danish opposition.
