Podcast Host (3:14)

And next, Grankowicz, this top NATO general, this top Air Force general, call sign Grinch. He here's what he says about Greenland. Play this clip.

Interviewer/Reporter (3:24)

The U.S. national strategy, along with the recent statements from President Trump has changed anything when it comes to NATO priorities.

General Alexis Gregory Grinkowicz (3:33)

Well, I won't comment on the political dimensions of recent rhetoric. It's not my place to do that as a military officer. But I will just observe the readout from the North Atlantic Council where all of our permanent representatives from the 32 nations get together to discuss thorny issues. Those dialogues continue in Brussels. They've been healthy dialogues from what I've heard. And I think that's the most important thing. Members of the alliance who've worked together for so many years are talking together and working through these thorny issues.

Interviewer/Reporter (4:04)

You had this role for about six months now. Has your priorities in any way changed?

General Alexis Gregory Grinkowicz (4:09)

Is it only six months?

Interviewer/Reporter (4:11)

Oh, I'm sorry you feel that way.

General Alexis Gregory Grinkowicz (4:13)

No, no. It's actually been truly a fantastic six months. One of the best jobs that exists on the planet, in my view, and I've truly enjoyed it. My priorities have been pretty consistent. I've got several of them. One of is, of course, I'm focused on taking care of our people, your people, that you contribute to the alliance and to our missions. They are the bread and butter of what we do every single day. And Michael Claassen and I actually got an opportunity to go see some of the Swedish troops yesterday, Swedish Marines who, I mean, some of the most impressive young women and men that I've seen in uniform throughout my almost 33 years of service. So you all ought to be incredibly proud of what those young people are doing for your country and for the alliance. So we need to take care of them. We need to focus on them, get them the equipment and the capabilities that they need. My second focus is war fighting readiness. And you know, the alliance is ready to fight tonight, but we need to continue to hone our readiness and be more and more ready every single day. That's headquarters readiness, making sure we have the processes and capabilities in place to do the things we need to do. It's also individual unit level readiness. Michael's focused on that here in Sweden. All of the chiefs of defense are, and I am as well. And it's by being ready that we continue to maintain that deterrence that I.

Podcast Host (5:37)

And here's how he discusses Russia, North Korea, Iran, China, getting much stronger together because of Trump's weakness. Now, he doesn't mention Trump specifically, but he talks about how in the past, American foreign policy would be to divide and conquer these countries, but now they're being brought closer together. They're cooperating with each other. And then Grinkowitz explains that this is why we need cooperation in the Arctic. It's why we need to work with our allies like Canada, like Sweden, like Denmark, like Greenland. This is a clear reference to Donald Trump's attacks on our allies. Watch as the top NATO commander, who's the supreme Allied Commander Europe. Watch what he says. And clearly the message here is being sent to Donald Trump and the rest of the world. Here, play this clip.

General Alexis Gregory Grinkowicz (6:42)

China continues to fund Putin's war machine. Iran continues to supply technology and weapons. And North Korean combat troops remain in Russia on Ukraine's border. And of course, there's a confluence of between Russia, Iran and Venezuela and their dark fleet of oil tankers that is helping to fund the war in the Arctic and the high north. We see a similar trend. Russian and Chinese vessels are conducting more and more joint patrols. Chinese icebreakers and research vessels are in Arctic waters, and their research is not for peaceful purposes. It's to gain a military advantage. Russia, meanwhile, continues testing advanced capabilities in the Barents Sea. As new shipping routes emerge and new resources are discovered, the Arctic only grows in strategic importance. And all of this comes in the midst of an increasing hybrid threat. Airspace violations, GPS and GNSS interference, and the Shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea threatening underwater infrastructure. In short, the Arctic and Northern Europe, by extension, has become a front line for strategic competition within NATO Allied Command Operations. The command that SACER oversees has taken steps to strengthen our deterrent posture, much of which is oriented in that northern region here. Just over a year ago, we established Baltic Sentry, an activity to protect that critical underwater infrastructure. In this past fall, we developed Eastern Sentry to increase our agility and further integrate our air and missile defenses on the eastern flank. More recently, in just the past month, we've realigned the boundaries of our joint commands. And now Joint Force Command Norfolk brings together NATO's activities in the Arctic under one command, allowing us to better defend all allies in Europe in the Arctic and the strategic approaches to North America. Allies are also working together closely on Arctic issues. At a recent Arctic Chief of Defense conference, we agreed to increase our understanding of activity in the Arctic, to enhance our domain awareness and to increase our own activities and exercises in the high North. In short, military cooperation in this region has never been stronger. Moving forward, we intend to expand our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, to improve our infrastructure and logistics for military mobility, and to strengthen our presence with Arctic capable forces. Many of those forces here in Sweden. With seven of eight Arctic nations inside the alliance, the other one being Russia, we will and we can get this right now. What's Sweden's role as our newest ally? Sweden is instrumental. Two years in and you have already demonstrated exceptional commitment. You're the framework nation for our forward land forces in Finland. You're filling staff roles throughout my command, especially in critical positions at Joint Force Command in Norfolk and our training and assistance command for Ukraine. You've contributed capabilities for operations and our vigilance activities across the entire European continent. You're a model for societal resilience and Sweden is among the top supporters of Ukraine through the prioritized Ukraine requirements list, the Pearl, and a number of other venues. In short, Sweden is setting an example for all of us and I truly appreciate your leadership. Now, as you're aware, transforming for the future and strengthening deterrence takes resources. A lot of resources. But while the Defense Investment Pledge at the Hague summit in 2025 was historic, money alone is not a deterrent. We need the equipment, the weapons and the munitions to start showing up in our allied military inventories. And this is where Sweden really stands apart. You have an incredibly strong industrial base and there are steps that we can use across the alliance to learn from your experience.

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Podcast Host (12:57)

Now that's not the only top general who's giving Donald Trump these warnings. In addition, Keith Kellogg, lieutenant general in the United States Army. I mean, people don't know this about Keith Kellogg. I mean, he's 81 years old now, but he commanded the 82nd Airborne Division. He was Special Operations. He also was a leader of command in Europe. He was in the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War. He's received numerous awards from the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star, Legion and Merit, Defense Superior Service Medal. He was Trump's envoy to Russia and Ukraine. Putin did not want Kellogg to be there because Kellogg wanted to hold Putin accountable. So Putin told Trump, get rid of Kellogg. Then Kellogg just became the envoy to Ukraine and not Russia. Basically got pushed out of the Trump regime, which we always knew that Kellogg was not going to make it that long in this Trump regime. So here, Kellogg similarly echoes what you heard from Grinkowicz, warning Donald Trump, you've got these malevolent actors out there, North Korea, China, what's left of Iran and Russia who are joining forces. Watch what Kellogg says here. Play this clip.

Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg (14:21)

But it's clearly with Russia, there are some malevolent actors out there. You have North Korea, you have China, you have what's left of Iran, and that's falling apart. And you have Russia now. And in the past, we didn't allow those four to come together. We kept them kind of separated. And now they're coming together. Now the point is to kind of not break them apart, but moves from separation, that you don't have to worry about them anymore. And you get to a point where you separated North Korea, you separated China, you separated Iran from Russia, and you keep them isolated.

Podcast Host (15:03)

And then Kellogg praises Zelensky. I want you to watch this for yourself. Play this clip.

Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg (15:08)

But he's stubborn. He has his opinion. He's unafraid to say that he knows how to use media. And I made a comment, I took some criticism for at the time that I said he was an embattled and courageous leader. And I said, people within the administration, we in the United States have not seen a leader like him since Abraham Lincoln.

Podcast Host (15:36)

And then Kellogg makes it very clear as well that Putin does not want peace with Ukraine. Putin is a KGB officer who wants total submission. That's what he is after here. Let's play this clip. Putin wants Ukraine to succeed. Do you think that Putin wants Ukraine to succeed?

Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg (15:55)

No, I don't. I think, I mean, I think.

General Alexis Gregory Grinkowicz (16:02)

Putin.

Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg (16:04)

As a former KGB officer and I don't think they ever outlived their roots. I think he's got a goal in mind and what we want in the west is not necessarily what he wants. And I think he was. I don't think Putin wants Ukraine to succeed at all.

Podcast Host (16:22)

And then finally, you had a meeting that took place recently with Mark Rutt, the Secretary General of NATO. You see Mark Rutt here talking about the Arctic strategy. And I want you to take a look here how he describes things. Take a look at Mark Rut at this press conference moments ago. Play this clip.

Interviewer/Reporter (16:48)

What is your comment? Approximation on latest statements from Donald Trump who said that if necessary, he will take military action on Greenland. And I'm just going to read it. Commissioner Kubilius from European Commission has said that EU members are obliged to come to Denmark's assistance under EU treaty if faced with military aggression. And as we know, 23 countries of EU are also members of NATO, including Croatia. Yes.

Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO (17:24)

Yes. Well, on that question, and it is a little bit, I think, repeating my previous reaction, but thank you very much for that important question. And I think what is at core here and to the core of this question is that we all make that same analysis. And there is no debate or discussion about that. The analysis is sound. And is there that when it comes to the high north, the Arctic region, I was myself visiting Iceland only, I think, six or eight weeks ago, and we also extensively discussed this. And I was in Norway and visiting all our allies, discussing with the US and with Canada. I was with Prime Minister Carney last week in Paris discussing the importance of the Arctic so collectively as an alliance, and particularly, of course, the southern countries who are bordering on the, on the region. We do make this analysis that the collective defense is crucial. We all see that through changes in weather patterns that sea lanes are opening up. And we have to make sure that we do everything to protect that region. It is a vital part of NATO territory. And that is exactly why we're in the past. NATO was not so much involved when it came to the Arctic that since 2025 on the request by the seven High north allies who are bordering on the Arctic that NATO has become more involved. This has led to a few, as I said, very successful discussions within the NATO alliance with our ambassadors in Brussels and our ministers. We discussed its importance and currently we are working on the next steps to make sure that indeed we collectively protect what is at stake here.

Podcast Host (19:08)

So you see everybody there seems to be warning Donald Trump, you're making a big mistake. High alert. What the hell are you doing? You see it for yourself there. Let me know what you think. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers and thanks for watching.

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