According to German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), the announced NATO mission “Arctic Sentry” is not intended as a Greenland‑specific operation. He also clarified that it is “not a response to Donald Trump”, as he said on ZDF‑Heute Journal.
Pistorius explained that the mission’s purpose is to reaffirm what Germany has been practising for years: treating the Arctic and the high North-and their security-with utmost seriousness. That security, he added, is essential not only for NATO and Europe but also for North America. While Greenland is indeed part of the Arctic, the goal is to assert NATO presence across the broader Arctic region. “That is the right thing, it is good, and that is why we are taking part” he said.
In the first phase of the “Arctic Sentry” operation, Germany will deploy four fighter jets.