NATO ambassador pushes back on European criticism over Greenland comments

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker pushed back against growing backlash in Europe over Washington’s focus on Greenland after France announced new military exercises with Denmark, saying Arctic security is one of America’s core defense interests and that Europe “tends to overreact.”

Asked whether the dispute reflected American pressure or European inaction, Whitaker said, “This is ultimately an issue between the United States, Denmark and Greenland.”

Greenland’s importance has been clear for years as ice melts, reshaping the Arctic and opening new routes, Whitaker said. “The security of the high north, which I talked about a lot before this happened, is the most important issue,” he said. “As the ice melts and roads open up in the Arctic, the security of the Arctic and thus the security of Greenland, the northern flank of the continental United States, becomes vital.”

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He emphasized that Greenland’s location makes it the center of US defense planning. “If you think of Greenland as part of access to maritime assets, monitoring, awareness and fortification of this part of the Western Hemisphere is vital to the long-term security of the United States,” Whitaker said. he said.

Whitaker said recent diplomacy showed the problem could be resolved without tension. “I know there was a very successful meeting between the Danes and Greenland and Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Rubio, so I think that will be constructive,” he said.

Still, he warned his European allies against escalating tensions. “Europe sometimes has a tendency to overreact when an issue is put on the table,” Whitaker said. “This is one of those things where cooler heads have to master it.”

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The Royal Danish Navy military ship HDMS Ejnar Mikkelsen is on patrol near Nuuk, Greenland, on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. (Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo)

NATO, deterrence and the “Reagan spirit”

Speaking from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Whitaker used Reagan’s “peace through strength” doctrine as justification for pushing NATO allies to spend more and move faster.

“The most important thing we do in NATO is, one, that the United States is strong. No one denies that. We have shown through Midnight Hammer, through what we have done in Venezuela and elsewhere, that the United States is capable and can generate power. We want all of our allies within NATO to be equally strong, and they are not at that point right now,” he said.

He added: “Some have certainly become more capable and so you can’t paint with a broad brush when it comes to all our NATO allies. But there are some who haven’t.”

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A Polish Army soldier sits inside a tank as the NATO flag flies behind him during NATO Noble Jump VJTF exercises on June 18, 2015 in Zagan, Poland. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

“Europe and the EU will have to untie their hands behind their backs,” he continued. “They’re going to have to deregulate, they’re going to have to find more capital and economic growth, because at the end of the day, that’s what’s going to allow them to keep their promises to increase defense spending and therefore defense capabilities.”

Whitaker added: “One of the things I constantly talk to our friends at the heart of the EU about is that they need to get their economies going and there are proven, tried and true ways to do that.” added Whitaker.

Whitaker said his top priority is ensuring NATO allies meet major defense commitments agreed at The Hague last year.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (right) and U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker (left) arrive at NATO Headquarters on the first day of the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on April 03, 2025. (Omer Havana/Getty Images)

“That’s number one on my list right now,” he said, “making sure that the political commitments we made in The Hague translate into real military capabilities in NATO.”

He said proximity to Russia shapes how seriously countries take the threat.

“You look at the Baltic countries like Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, you look at the Nordic countries… They are very aware of the threats posed by Russia. [poses]Referring to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Whitaker said:

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A NATO military force stands guard ahead of the two-day NATO summit at the World Forum in The Hague on June 22, 2025. (Remko de Waal /ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

He added that Poland stands out. “Poland’s eyes are open,” Whitaker said. “They will spend over 5% on core defense in the next year or two.”

He said others were still delayed. “I keep a one-page dashboard on my desk that is updated regularly,” Whitaker said. “It’s too early to tell.” “It has to depend on abilities,” he said. “This should make them stronger and ready to fight tonight.”

“President Trump announced a $1.5 trillion defense budget,” Whitaker said. “We have shown abilities that no one else can compare with right now.”

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NATO leaders pose in this photo taken in June. Military leaders are meeting in Washington on Tuesday evening to discuss Ukraine’s security options. (Claudia Greco/Reuters)

“I’m here in the Reagan Library, and it just reminds me that Ronald Reagan was actually able to put these policies in place to stimulate growth,” Whitaker said. “President Trump has certainly followed that same tradition of unleashing the American entrepreneur, unleashing American innovation, and getting regulations out of the way so American companies can grow and thrive.”

Whitaker said the pressure on allies will continue as NATO progresses. “We’re asking our European and Canadian allies to do more,” he said. “So far, so good.”