BUCHAREST, January 20. /TASS/. Greenland is a political rather than a military issue, Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich, said at a press conference at the NATO Multinational Corps Southeast headquarters in Sibiu, broadcast online on the Romanian Defense Ministry’s Facebook page (banned in Russia, owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia).

"Clearly, the Greenland issue is a political issue at this point. At the military level we're focused on what we always focus on across the alliance and that's defending and deterring aggression against any part of alliance territory and we're ready to defend every inch of it," he said. "I talk to every chief of defense regularly and there's been no change to our mission."

Chief of the Romanian General Staff, General Gheorghita Vlad, responding to a journalist’s question about how Romania’s exclusive economic zones in the Black Sea could be protected, noted that from a legal standpoint, Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty cannot be applied to protect exclusive economic zones. "But that does not mean we do not defend ourselves within our areas of responsibility," he added. "I am convinced that in such a situation we would have many partners and allies to safeguard our national interests."

Grynkewich also visited the Getica Joint National Training Center in Cincu. On Monday, he met with Romania’s President Nicusor Dan, Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, and the Defense Ministry’s leadership.