Nato has launched Arctic Sentry to coordinate military exercises in the High North, seeking to counter Russia and China while moving past tensions sparked by US threats to annex Greenland.
Nato has unveiled a new military initiative ‘Arctic Sentry’ to strengthen coordination and visibility in the High North, just weeks after tensions within the alliance flared over US President Donald Trump’s remarks about annexing Greenland.
Announced on Wednesday, Arctic Sentry will serve as a unifying Nato framework for a series of national military exercises already conducted in the Arctic region. Rather than deploying a new permanent force under a Nato banner, the initiative will coordinate existing drills such as Denmark’s Arctic Endurance and Norway’s Cold Response exercises.
The decision comes after a turbulent period for the alliance. Trump’s renewed insistence that Washington should “get” Greenland, a semiautonomous territory within the Danish realm — rattled European allies and reignited questions about cohesion inside Nato. Denmark’s participation in Arctic exercises had even drawn tariff threats from Washington, further straining diplomatic ties.
By consolidating regional drills under the Arctic Sentry label, Nato appears keen to shift attention from internal disagreements to shared security concerns.
Countering Russia and China in the High North
Arctic Sentry will be coordinated through Nato’s Joint Force Command in Norfolk, Virginia. Its stated objective is to reinforce security across the Arctic and High North, an area that includes Greenland and is drawing growing attention from both Russia and China.
Seven Nato allies have territory within the Arctic region, which has become increasingly strategic as melting ice opens new shipping routes and access to natural resources. Russia maintains a substantial military presence along its Arctic coastline, while China has declared itself a “near-Arctic state” and stepped up economic and scientific engagement there.
Nato’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, said the initiative reflects the alliance’s focus on safeguarding member territories and maintaining stability in a region that poses environmental and logistical challenges.
The United Kingdom has already announced that it will double the number of troops deployed to Norway over the next three years, increasing from 1,000 to 2,000 personnel. Some British forces will take part in Exercise Lion Protector scheduled for September. France and Germany have also signalled their participation, though troop numbers have not yet been specified.
For now, Arctic Sentry does not involve permanent Nato deployments. Instead, it offers a coordination umbrella that could expand over time as security assessments evolve and additional activities are folded into the framework.
Seeking unity as focus returns to Ukraine
The rollout of Arctic Sentry is as much about internal repair as it is about external deterrence. NATO’s founding principle is collective defence of its 32 member states. The prospect of the alliance’s most powerful member openly discussing the annexation of territory belonging to another ally unsettled governments across Europe.
Greenland’s strategic value, its location between North America and Europe and its role in missile warning and surveillance systems has long attracted US interest. However, Trump’s approach created friction at a moment when NATO has been striving to present a united front against Russia’s war in Ukraine.
European allies are hoping that formalising Arctic cooperation through Arctic Sentry, alongside ongoing talks between Washington, Copenhagen and Greenlandic authorities, will help contain fallout from the dispute. The broader priority for many capitals remains support for Ukraine and strengthening deterrence along NATO’s eastern flank.
At the same time, the Arctic is no longer viewed as a peripheral theatre. Climate change, competition over sea lanes and resource access, and expanding military activity have transformed it into a key arena for great-power rivalry.
By branding and coordinating existing military exercises under Arctic Sentry, Nato is signalling that it intends to stay present in the High North not as an occupying force, but as a structured collective defence arrangement. Whether this effort fully restores confidence among allies after the Greenland episode will depend on diplomatic follow-through as much as on military drills.
For now, Arctic Sentry reflects Nato’s attempt to recalibrate, refocus and reinforce its northern front at a time of both internal strain and shifting global competition.
With inputs from agencies
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