EU to Boost Investment and Ties with Greenland

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected on Monday to announce a substantial increase in EU investment in Greenland and closer political ties with the semi-autonomous Danish territory. Her two-day visit is a show of support for the governments in Nuuk and Copenhagen, which have rejected US efforts to take control of the island.

Von der Leyen described the planned package as substantial but gave no details. Investment is expected to target sectors including critical minerals, satellite communications and renewable energy. Greenland Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen said his country wanted to build on its close partnership with the European Union.

The Arctic is becoming increasingly important as melting ice opens new shipping routes and makes the region’s mineral wealth more accessible. The United States, Russia, China and Europe are all seeking to strengthen their position in the region.

US President Donald Trump has caused tensions by arguing that Denmark cannot defend Greenland and insisting that Washington should control the territory. European officials have stressed that Greenland is covered by NATO’s mutual defense pact and that the United States already has the right to expand its military presence there under a longstanding treaty.

Talks between the United States, Denmark and Greenland have yet to produce an agreement. Greenland left the European Community in 1985, but its residents, as Danish citizens, remain EU citizens.

The EU already provides funding to Greenland, mainly for fishing rights and its education system. The new package is expected both to increase that support significantly and to extend EU investment into other sectors.

(Reuters, bak)