Former President Donald Trump has suggested that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg played a crucial role in his 2019 plan to acquire Greenland. In a recent statement, Trump implied that the NATO leader was not only aware of his interest in purchasing the autonomous Danish territory but was also a significant supporter of the initiative.

This unexpected revelation casts new light on the diplomatic maneuvering behind Trump’s controversial attempt to buy Greenland, a move that was rejected outright by Denmark. At the time, Trump’s administration described the acquisition as a strategic necessity for U.S. military interests, particularly in the Arctic, a region that has increasingly become a point of contention between the United States, Russia, and NATO members.

“I wasn’t alone in my thinking,” Trump said, referring to Stoltenberg’s involvement. “NATO, under Jens’ leadership, has shown a keen interest in the Arctic. It wasn’t just a personal ambition. NATO’s concerns with Russia’s military build-up in the region were very much part of the conversation.”

While Stoltenberg had publicly emphasized the importance of Arctic security in the past, he had never explicitly supported Trump’s attempt to buy Greenland. Trump’s latest comments are likely to spark debate over whether NATO’s strategic interests were quietly aligning with the former president’s controversial proposal.