NATO Chief Tells World Leaders 'Trump Is Right' About Greenland

President Donald J. Trump’s long-standing warning that the Arctic demands stronger, more assertive security measures received high-profile validation Wednesday from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, underscoring growing concern among Western leaders over rising Russian and Chinese activity in the region.

Trump has repeatedly argued that American control of Greenland is critical to ensuring Arctic security. Denmark, which governs the island, has rejected that position, triggering an increasingly public dispute marked by sharp rhetoric and threats of economic retaliation.

Rutte addressed the issue during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, shortly before President Trump delivered remarks to the gathering later the same day.

“When it comes to the Arctic, I think President Trump is right,” Rutte said in a video posted to X. “Other leaders of NATO are right.”

“We need to defend the Arctic. We know that the sea lanes are opening up. We know that China and Russia are increasingly active in the Arctic,” he continued.

Rutte noted that the Arctic region is bordered by eight nations, seven of which are NATO members.

“There are eight countries bordering the Arctic. Seven are members of NATO,” he said, listing Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Canada, and the United States.

Russia, Rutte explained, is the lone Arctic-bordering nation outside the alliance.

The NATO chief went further, arguing that China should effectively be counted as an additional Arctic power due to its expanding presence in the region.

“And I would argue there is a ninth country, which is China, which is increasingly active in the Arctic region,” he said.

“President Trump and other leaders are right; we have to do more there,” Rutte added. “We have to protect the Arctic against Russian ⁠and Chinese influence.”

While backing Trump’s position on Arctic security, Rutte cautioned that the growing focus on Greenland risks diverting Europe’s attention from what he described as its most urgent challenge, according to German outlet DW.

“The ⁠focus on Ukraine should be the ‍number one priority, it is crucial for European and U.S. security,” Rutte said.

“I am really worried that we lose sight and ⁠that, in the meantime, Ukrainians won’t have enough interceptor [missiles] to defend themselves.”

Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik echoed that assessment, stressing that Russia remains the primary strategic threat to the West.

“These are demanding times. The situation in NATO is difficult,” Sandvik said, adding that the “dimensional threat ⁠for the West, for NATO… is still Russia.”

As previously reported by Time, President Trump has been blunt about Greenland’s strategic importance and America’s historical role in defending the region.

“Without us, right now you’d all be speaking German and Japanese, perhaps,” Trump said, referencing World War II.

“After the war, we gave Greenland back to Denmark. How stupid were we to do that, but we did it, but we gave it back. But how ungrateful are they now?” he continued.

Trump also framed Greenland as a natural extension of the American continent.

“This enormous unsecured Island is actually part of North America, on the northern frontier of the Western Hemisphere,” Trump said. “That’s our territory.”

With NATO leadership now openly affirming Trump’s warnings, the debate over Greenland and Arctic security appears far from settled — and increasingly central to the balance of power in the decades ahead.