“What is expected of allies is that they behave like allies, and the United States is a key ally in NATO, and I sincerely hope that this will continue to be the case for many years to come,” Nuno Melo told Lusa on the sidelines of the Military Academy day ceremony in Lisbon.
The defence minister stressed that the desire is for peace, especially in Europe, and that to achieve this, “we must value NATO and use words that promote unity rather than words that promote division”.
“The fact is that NATO won the Cold War not because it was NATO, but because it was politically and operationally strong and because it had the allies it has,” he said.
Asked whether Portugal had already contacted NATO allies and whether it could be included in the talks between member countries of the Atlantic alliance to possibly reinforce the military contingent in Greenland, Nuno Melo chose not to answer, stating only that NATO meets frequently and that “all issues can be addressed”.
The defence minister also made a point of marking the 236th anniversary of the Military Academy, highlighting the reversal of the balance of personnel entering and leaving the armed forces.
Today, we have many more military personnel entering the armed forces in all three branches than leaving,” he said, arguing that “when you invest and do the right thing, good results also happen”.
“The persistent 15-year decline being reversed after such a short time, I think that is really remarkable and should be noted,” he said, referring to the government’s mandate.
Greenland today “unequivocally” rejected the United States’ claim to “take possession” of the territory and announced that it will intensify efforts to ensure that defence is guaranteed within the framework of NATO.
“The United States has reiterated its desire to take possession of Greenland, something that the government coalition cannot accept under any circumstances,” the government said in a statement.
The Greenlandic autonomous government added that it intends to strengthen the integration of the territory’s defence within the Atlantic Alliance, following the support expressed by several member states. Berlin also confirmed today that NATO is discussing a possible strengthening of security in the Arctic.
On Sunday, Trump reiterated that the US will take over Greenland “in one way or another,” claiming it needs “title to the land.” Earlier this week, the US President acknowledged that he may have to choose between preserving NATO’s integrity and controlling Greenland.
Trump’s statements have caused growing concern among European allies and reinforced the debate on the strategic importance of the Arctic in the context of Euro-Atlantic security. Trump used Russia and China as an argument to justify the alleged need for an annexation of Greenland.
Platform with Lusa
