As a clear sign of the new geopolitical situation in the Arctics, Greenland has officially “joined” NATO with its own diplomat, as part of the permanent Danish political delegation to the military alliance in Brussels.
Naalakkersuisut, which is the government of Greenland, and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly announced the move on 20 March 2023.
“Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine has increased Greenland’s need to sharpen its insight into security policy matters, which may have significance for us in the Arctic,” a Naalakkersuisut statement reads. “The dispatch of a Greenlandic diplomat to the NATO representation thus falls at a time in the Alliance’s history when there is a need to contribute knowledge about Arctic conditions, but also for Naalakkersuisut to gain a more thorough insight into NATO and the Alliance’s role in the region.”
Lida Skifte Lennert has been appointed to be the first Greenlandic diplomat to join the diplomatic core of NATO, within the Danish group.
Greenland is a semi-autonomous country, hosting US military facilities, and has lately gained a more independent stance from Denmark, under which it recides. Denmark is still responsible for international affairs and the defence of Greenland. Via Denmark, Greenland was already part of NATO, but until now never with its own appointees. | © 2023 Marcel Burger, nordicreporter.com. Photo: the Danish frigate Triton patrols in Arctic waters (Press photo by NATO)