NATO planning Arctic Sentry mission to secure the region including Greenland

NATO has started military planning for an Arctic Sentry mission, a spokesperson for the alliance's military headquarters said.

This against a backdrop of tensions between the U.S. and European allies over Greenland as U.S. President Donald Trump said he wants to acquire Greenland to secure it against Russia and China.

Planning is underway for a NATO enhanced vigilance activity, named Arctic Sentry according to Colonel Martin O'Donnell, spokesperson for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.

The mission will enhance security in the Arctic especially around Greenland and will include surveillance, patrolling and joint exercises.

This after U.S. President Donald Trump met NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Davos, January, and said they discussed how NATO allies could work collectively to ensure Arctic security, including not just Greenland but the seven NATO nations with land in the Arctic.

European Union Chief claimed while China does not yet have a direct presence in the Arctic, its interests in the region is growing.

Kaja Kallas, EU foreign policy chief said: "We don't see the presence of China here just yet, but it's clear that they are showing growing interest in the Arctic. Ports, transport hubs, keeping in view of the climate change and the warming of the climate and opening of trade routes. So what the intelligence services are warning is that it creates security risks."

China's 2018 Arctic White Paper emphasises four principles for the region: respect, cooperation, win-win outcomes and sustainability. It highlights climate change, ecological protection, shipping routes and resource utilisation.

Kallas noted a slight easing of tensions over President Trump's plans to take control of Greenland, a Danish territory, but cautioned there was little clarity about what comes next.

"Tensions are lower than they were a few weeks ago when a foreign minister, Vivian (Motzfeldt) and I met in Brussels, together with the Danish defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen. But there's little clarity about what comes next, or when the next dispute may arise. So I will reiterate what I said then. The European Union stands with Greenland, we stand with our member state Denmark and we stand by the UN Charter," Kallas said.

This as Greenland's foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt reiterated Greenland is not for sale. "We stand with the Kingdom of Denmark and our right to self-determination territorial integrity, world order and international law, and these are very much our red lines."

(Anchor) 'So Greenland is not for sale?'

Motzfeldt said: "Greenland is not for sale."

(Anchor) "Not today not in the future?"

Motzfeldt said: "Absolutely not."