German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for a greater NATO presence in Greenland, citing changes in the Arctic region caused by climate change and growing interest in new shipping routes from China and Russia, he told RND on 8 February 2025.

Scholz stressed that the principle of inviolability of borders should apply to all countries. He noted that the melting of the Arctic ice is opening up new sea routes, causing increased attention from China and Russia. This raises legitimate security issues that need to be discussed within NATO. The Chancellor expressed the opinion that the alliance should strengthen its presence in Greenland.

It is noteworthy that Scholz did not comment on US President Donald Trump's plans to annex the island, although journalists asked about it. Earlier, on February 7, the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that NATO was discussing the possibility of sending troops to Greenland amid Trump's statements about the need to annex the island. During informal talks, representatives of the alliance countries discussed the possibility of using the collective defense clause against the US.

On January 26, Trump expressed confidence that the United States would get Greenland. The day before, he had insisted on acquiring the island in a phone call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, displaying an aggressive and confrontational attitude.

Greenland, an autonomous territory within Denmark, is strategically important due to its geography and rich natural resources. Climate change and melting ice are making the region more accessible, opening up new opportunities for shipping and mining. This has attracted the attention of world powers including the US, Russia and China, raising concerns about potential changes in the geopolitical balance in the Arctic.