Europe

Home page

Europe

Germany declares its readiness to contribute to ensuring security in the Arctic

12 January 2026 03:17 (UTC +04:00)

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated Germany's fundamental readiness to make a greater contribution to ensuring military security in the Arctic, APA reports.

He noted that the right solutions must be found within NATO. "The North Atlantic is of enormous geostrategic importance for our alliance, for NATO, and Iceland is a key hub here," Wadephul said, commenting on US President Donald Trump's statements about Greenland, as quoted by the DPA news agency. On Sunday, the German Foreign Minister stopped in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, on his way to the US, where he met with his Icelandic counterpart, Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir.

"This makes cooperation here even more important. The Bundeswehr [German Armed Forces] is already providing support in maritime monitoring," the minister stated. If new challenges arise, Germany will have to explore what can be done, he added.

In turn, the Icelandic Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of security and defense in the Arctic. This, she said, includes respect for the right of peoples to self-determination and territorial integrity. On January 12, Wadeful is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. The two sides are likely to discuss, among other things, the situation around Greenland.