Italy's Meloni rules out US military move on Greenland and urges stronger NATO role in Arctic

ROME (AP) — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said on Friday she didn’t believe the United States would resort to military force to seize control of Greenland, urging a stronger role for NATO in the Arctic region to address U.S. security concerns.

Speaking during a traditional New Year press conference, Meloni said the use of military action in Greenland would not be in anyone’s interest and would have serious consequences for NATO.

“I still don’t believe in the possibility of the U.S. initiating military action to take control of Greenland,” Meloni noted, stressing that Italy wouldn’t support such a move.

The White House said Tuesday the U.S. administration is weighing “ options ” that could include military action to take control of the strategically located and mineral-rich island, which is a semi-autonomous region that is part of NATO ally Denmark.

“I think the Trump administration, with its somewhat assertive methods, is primarily focusing attention on the strategic importance of Greenland and the Arctic region for its security,” Meloni said. “It’s an area where many foreign actors operate, and I continue to believe the message from the U.S. is that it will not accept actions by foreign powers.”

The Italian conservative premier stressed that a reinforced NATO presence in the region would help smooth U.S. worries about rival actors gaining influence in the area, even with hostile intentions.

Meloni is considered one of President Donald Trump’s closest allies in Europe, trying to act as a mediator between the often conflicting interests of the U.S. and the European Union.

The Italian leader said it was “clear to everyone” that any U.S. military move on Greenland would have a significant impact on NATO.

Trump has floated since his first term the idea of purchasing Greenland from Denmark. But, after last weekend’s U.S. military action in Venezuela, he’s renewed calls for the U.S. to take over Greenland, citing strategic reasons.

The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain have defended the sovereignty of Greenland, along with Denmark, whose right to the island was recognized by the U.S. government at the beginning of the 20th century.

“I think international law must be fully defended,” Meloni said. “But I don’t understand what you’re asking when you say Italy must distance itself from the United States,” she added responding to a question about Trump’s aggressive policies.

Meloni stressed that Italy’s foreign policy is based on two pillars: Europe and the Atlantic Alliance.

“Of course, I don’t always agree with everything my allies say. The interests of nations don’t always perfectly overlap,” she added.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni holds her annual start-of-the-year press conference in the press room at the Lower Chamber, in Rome, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Italian journalists display banners demanding the renewal of their employment contracts in front of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during her annual start-of-the-year press conference in the press room at the Lower Chamber, in Rome, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni listens to a journalist's question during her annual start-of-the-year press conference in the press room at the Lower Chamber, in Rome, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni holds her annual start-of-the-year press conference in the press room at the Lower Chamber, in Rome, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni gestures during her annual start-of-the-year press conference in the press room at the Lower Chamber, in Rome, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

ALEPPO, Syria (AP) — First responders on Sunday entered a contested neighborhood in Syria’ s northern city of Aleppo after days of deadly clashes between government forces and Kurdish-led forces. Syrian state media said the military was deployed in large numbers.

The clashes broke out Tuesday in the predominantly Kurdish neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud, Achrafieh and Bani Zaid after the government and the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main Kurdish-led force in the country, failed to make progress on how to merge the SDF into the national army. Security forces captured Achrafieh and Bani Zaid.

The fighting between the two sides was the most intense since the fall of then-President Bashar Assad to insurgents in December 2024. At least 23 people were killed in five days of clashes and more than 140,000 were displaced amid shelling and drone strikes.

The U.S.-backed SDF, which have played a key role in combating the Islamic State group in large swaths of eastern Syria, are the largest force yet to be absorbed into Syria's national army. Some of the factions that make up the army, however, were previously Turkish-backed insurgent groups that have a long history of clashing with Kurdish forces.

The Kurdish fighters have now evacuated from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood to northeastern Syria, which is under the control of the SDF. However, they said in a statement they will continue to fight now that the wounded and civilians have been evacuated, in what they called a “partial ceasefire.”

The neighborhood appeared calm Sunday. The United Nations said it was trying to dispatch more convoys to the neighborhoods with food, fuel, blankets and other urgent supplies.

Government security forces brought journalists to tour the devastated area, showing them the damaged Khalid al-Fajer Hospital and a military position belonging to the SDF’s security forces that government forces had targeted.

The SDF statement accused the government of targeting the hospital “dozens of times” before patients were evacuated. Damascus accused the Kurdish-led group of using the hospital and other civilian facilities as military positions.

On one street, Syrian Red Crescent first responders spoke to a resident surrounded by charred cars and badly damaged residential buildings.

Some residents told The Associated Press that SDF forces did not allow their cars through checkpoints to leave.

“We lived a night of horror. I still cannot believe that I am right here standing on my own two feet,” said Ahmad Shaikho. “So far the situation has been calm. There hasn’t been any gunfire.”

Syrian Civil Defense first responders have been disarming improvised mines that they say were left by the Kurdish forces as booby traps.

Residents who fled are not being allowed back into the neighborhood until all the mines are cleared. Some were reminded of the displacement during Syria’s long civil war.

“I want to go back to my home, I beg you,” said Hoda Alnasiri.

Associated Press journalist Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

Sandbag barriers used as fighting positions by Kurdish fighters, left inside a destroyed mosque in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

People flee the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

A Syrian military police convoy enters the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)

Burned vehicles and ammunitions left at one of the Kurdish fighters positions at the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood, where clashes between government forces and Kurdish fighters have been taking place in the northern city of Aleppo, Syria, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)