German defence minister: Talks progressing on NATO Greenland mission

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius expressed optimism about a joint NATO mission to Greenland with the United States.

In an appearance at a trade conference in Berlin, Pistorius said talks about a NATO operation in the Arctic - dubbed Arctic Sentry - were progressing.

"As far as I know, talks are going well, initially at the military level, and we are well on the way to establishing a joint operation with Arctic Sentry," the minister said.

"Of course, I don't know for sure yet, because the talks are still ongoing, but we are actually back at the same point we were at six months or a year ago," he added.

NATO countries have been discussing boosting surveillance missions in the Arctic region in response to US President Donald Trump's demand for control over Danish-administered Greenland, the world's largest island.

Trump has warned that only the US can protect the Arctic from the expanding presence of Russia and China.

The US president threatened to impose tariffs on eight European countries in a major escalation last week before backing down after a meeting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The Arctic has "great military significance" as a link between Europe and the US, Pistorius said.

The minister added that he was glad there was agreement to "jointly protect the island as part of the Arctic."