NATO officials confirmed on the 3rd that NATO has launched a military plan called 'Arctic Sentinel', aimed at strengthening allied vigilance in the Arctic region.
When responding to a related report from Germany's Der Spiegel magazine on the 3rd, a spokesperson for NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, O'Donnell, said that NATO has launched the 'Arctic Sentinel' military plan and relevant preparatory work is underway.
He declined to disclose more details.
A NATO official later confirmed to a Xinhua News Agency reporter via email: "We can confirm the 'Arctic Sentinel' plan is underway, and further details will be released in due course."
Recently, U.S. President Trump has repeatedly claimed to want to acquire Greenland and has accused European allies of failing to adequately protect the island. In January this year, after meeting with Trump in Davos, Switzerland, NATO Secretary General Rutte stated that the two sides discussed how NATO allies could collectively ensure Arctic security, covering not only Greenland, but also the seven NATO countries with Arctic territories.