American soldiers struggled during NATO exercises in Norway in March 2025, with commanders having to ask Finnish troops to treat them more gently.
NATO Exercises Reveal American Soldiers’ Difficulties
In March 2025, military exercises Joint Viking2025 took place in northern Norway. About 10,000 soldiers from seven countries participated: Norway, Canada, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. According to The Times, citing a military source, the Americans had the most difficulty.
The exercise commanders had to ask Finnish reservists, who were playing the role of invaders, to treat the Americans more gently. – The Finns had to be told to stop beating the Americans because it was embarrassing and demotivating for them – said one of the informants.
Limited U.S. Capabilities in Arctic Region
Norway is one of the pillars of NATO’s northern flank, and exercises like Joint Viking allow to test the ability to quickly transfer allied forces, cooperate, and operate in difficult climatic conditions. NATO representatives confirmed that currently European allies bear the main responsibility for military operations in the Arctic.
The United States has limited forces and experience in this region. The best prepared for actions in extremely cold, icy terrain are units from Great Britain, Norway, Finland, and Sweden.
Increased NATO Presence Planned for Arctic
In Greenland, operation ‘Arctic Endurance’ is underway, mainly conducted by Danish forces and NATO allies. The goal is to strengthen NATO’s northern flank and train in Arctic conditions. According to a statement from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Great Britain, these exercises do not pose a threat to anyone.
New NATO Mission for Arctic Security
Recently, there has also been the concept of a NATO ‘Arctic Sentry’ mission, which aims to strengthen security in the Arctic, especially around Greenland. Its main objective is to increase surveillance, deterrence, and operational readiness of the Alliance in the Arctic region.
The mission will also improve coordination of exercises, operations, and intelligence activities between NATO member states.
Rutte: NATO Will Increase Arctic Presence in 2026
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that Alliance countries will have to increase their presence in the Arctic region. – I have no doubt that we can do this quite quickly. Of course, I expect this to happen in 2026, and even at the beginning of 2026 – said Rutte.
– We will meet in NATO with our senior commanders to determine what is necessary. I know that the Arctic region countries want to lead this, they want to gather all our allies – announced Rutte.
Trump’s Interest in Greenland, Experts Assess Threat
Donald Trump is seeking to gain control over Greenland, claiming the United States needs the island for ‘national security, and even world security’. – We will do something with Greenland regardless of whether they want it or not – he said on January 9.
Experts emphasize that neither Russia nor China currently have plans to ‘capture’ Greenland militarily. Ed Arnold assessed that the threat from Russia has decreased in recent years as Moscow concentrates its forces on Ukraine. China’s activities are limited to scientific exploration, not considered a direct threat.
