UK Urges NATO Arctic Buildup as France Opens Greenland Consulate Amid Tensions

During her visit to Finland and Norway, Cooper said Arctic security was "critical to protecting Britain and NATO" and stressed the need to "strengthen regional defences to deter Russia and protect key infrastructure", according to a press release published by the Foreign Office.

"The Arctic will become an ever more critical frontier for NATO," Cooper said, adding that Britain and its allies were working to reinforce defences in the High North to prevent any attempts to threaten their interests and undersea infrastructure.

The High North hosts major shipping routes and vital critical national infrastructure, including undersea cables, which British officials say are increasingly vulnerable to hostile activity, Xinhua news agency reported. Cooper's visit includes meetings with Finnish border guards defending NATO's eastern flank with Russia and a visit to Camp Viking in northern Norway, where British Royal Marines are conducting cold-weather military training.

The press release said that Britain has "long been a leader" in the Joint Expeditionary Force, a coalition of 10 northern European nations focused on High North security. The force recently carried out its largest-ever military exercise "Tarassis," deploying thousands of troops, dozens of ships, vehicles, and aircraft across the Baltic region and the North Atlantic.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday that France will open its consulate in Greenland on February 6, a concrete move to show support for the island as the United States repeatedly vows to take it over.

In an interview with French radio RTL, Barrot said Greenland neither wants to be owned, governed, nor integrated by the United States, stressing that the island has chosen to remain within the framework of Denmark, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union.

His remarks came amid renewed statements by US President Donald Trump, who has expressed interest in acquiring the island, hinting at the possibility of military intervention.

Calling such rhetoric "incongruous," Barrot said it would make no sense for one NATO member to attack another, noting that such an act would run counter to the interests of the United States itself.

The French minister underlined the importance of international law, saying it has been undermined by recent actions of the United States.

"International law is being trampled on, and the first days of 2026 have clearly shown that the law of the strongest is now governing relations between nations," he said, adding that this made it imperative for Europe and its partners to strengthen themselves.

Barrot also stressed the need to show solidarity with Denmark in the face of U.S. pressure, adding that French authorities have held intensive exchanges with their Danish and Greenlandic counterparts in recent days.

- IANS