The head of NATO’s forces in Europe, U.S. General Alexus Grynkewich, said on Friday the military alliance was far from being in “a crisis,” following Donald Trump’s threats to bring Greenland under U.S. control.
“There’s been no impact on my work at the military level up to this point… I would just say that we’re ready to defend every inch of alliance territory still today,” Grynkewich told reporters during a visit to Finland.
“So I see us as far from being in a crisis right now,” he added.
Grynkewich’s comments followed Trump repeatedly stating that he wants U.S. control of the mineral-rich autonomous Danish territory.
Washington already has a military presence in Greenland—the Pituffik base, which dates from World War II, when the United States sent forces to defend Greenland after Denmark fell to Nazi Germany.
Some 150 personnel are permanently stationed at the base, but the United States stationed up to 6,000 troops across Greenland during the Cold War, largely out of concerns that any Soviet missile would cross the island on its way to North America.
