EU boosts Greenland funding

The European Commission is set to deepen ties with Greenland through a major funding drive amid US President Donald Trump’s push to gain control of the Arctic territory.

The European Commission is set to deepen ties with Greenland through a major funding drive amid US President Donald Trump’s push to gain control of the Arctic territory.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to unveil an increase in EU investment in Greenland and closer political ties with the Danish Arctic territory.

Von der Leyen is currently on a two-day visit to Greenland “as a show of support for the governments of Denmark and Greenland.”

The investment will be used in several sectors, including critical minerals, satellite communications and renewable energy in Greenland.

According to the EU president, the package would be “substantial”, but she did not disclose further details.

The European Commission is currently updating its 2021 Arctic policy to place security, defence and geopolitical strategy at its core, moving beyond its original focus primarily on climate change and raw materials.

“This update is necessary to maintain that the policy is relevant and effective in addressing the evolving challenges and opportunities in the Arctic region,” an EU spokesperson said.

Experts advocate stronger EU-NATO coordination, such as aligning with NATO’s Arctic Sentry initiative, to safeguard critical infrastructure such as subsea cables and counter hybrid threats.

Linda Solstrand Dahlberg, a senior representative of the Arctic University of Norway, said, “A secure Arctic is inextricably linked with European security.”

President Donald Trump launched a drive aimed at exerting US control over Greenland while arguing that Denmark could not defend it.

The issue appeared to settle down when Trump and other countries, including Denmark and Greenland, agreed to hold discussions to resolve the matter.

However, the trilateral talks have yet to yield an agreement and, at a NATO summit in Turkey in July, Trump insisted that the US should control Greenland.