The aim is to ease tensions surrounding Greenland's status as an autonomous territory of Denmark, an issue that has gained attention due to Trump's interest in the island, justified with US security concerns.
According to the sources, NATO believes strengthening its presence in the Arctic could address these security interests while enabling US participation in the initiative.
Trump's concerns about Greenland are seen as valid, the sources say, particularly in light of Russian and Chinese activities in the region.
Greenland holds significant strategic value - not only for its vast natural resources but also as a key location for military control of the Arctic. Climate change is also making Arctic shipping routes more accessible, particularly in the summer months.
Greenland is located between the US and Europe in a region of increasing strategic value. (EPA PHOTO)
According to alliance sources, the initiative is currently being discussed informally.
The proposed military expansion could be based on defence plans adopted in 2023. The classified documents outline measures to bolster deterrence and defence capabilities in the far north.
The US already maintains a presence in Greenland through the Pituffik Space Base, operated under agreements with Denmark. This base plays a critical role in missile warning systems, missile defence and space surveillance operations.
Danish military personnel is also stationed in Greenland, primarily through the Arctic Command in Nuuk.
Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire for US control over the huge island, which officially belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark.
His recent remarks have raised concerns among NATO allies, since he has not ruled out using economic or military means.
NATO ally Denmark insists that the people of Greenland should decide their own future.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has held a series of crisis talks with other European NATO leaders, while Greenland's government has made it clear that it wants to remain neither Danish nor American - but Greenlandic.
For NATO, the Greenland debate is particularly delicate. The alliance risks damaging its credibility if a leading member threatens to seize territory from another ally - especially against the backdrop of Russia's war in Ukraine and China's territorial claims over Taiwan.
At the same time, a worst-case scenario would be a US withdrawal from NATO over the dispute, given that the alliance's deterrence relies heavily on US nuclear and conventional military power.
Diplomats believe the success of NATO's initiative will depend on whether Trump's primary focus is genuinely on security concerns. If his interest in Greenland is also driven by its raw material deposits, the initiative could be doomed to failure.
