President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen is expected to unveil new financial investments in Greenland on Monday as part of a package intended to strengthen ties with the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
The new investment package is reportedly set to see a significant boost into Greenland’s critical minerals, satellite communications, and renewable energy sectors.
Upon arriving in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, on Sunday, von der Leyen declined to offer specifics about the funding but said it will be “substantial.” Elaborating on her visit, the E.U. official referred to Greenland as “family” and said she was back to make the “unique partnership even stronger.”
The office of Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen also revealed the country has partnered with the E.U. on a project titled “Connecting Greenland, Together,” with the aim of ensuring “access to secure and stable internet access in remote areas of Greenland”.
The visit and investment boost comes as the bloc pursues stronger ties to the Arctic region after Icelandic voters recently opted not to resumeaccession negotiations with the European Union and amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated annexation threats against Greenland.
In a social media post, von der Leyen pointed towards the climate crisis and security in the Arctic region.
Remarking on the “visible scars of climate change on the ice sheet,” she said a “new reality is taking shape” as the ice melts. “New trade routes, new security risks, new environmental concerns. Europe stands with Greenland. We will navigate these changes together,” she vowed.
Security in the region has become an increasingly important issue for Europe, with Russia, China, and the U.S. all eyeing up emerging shipping routes in the Arctic and possibly new avenues to critical minerals.
Read More: Why the Movements of a U.S. Oil Company in Greenland Have Attracted Attention
Trump’s annexation threats loom over Greenland
Trump has long expressed his desire to control Greenland—threats he has ramped up since returning to office last year.
Greenlandic and Danish officials have vehemently pushed backagainst Trump’s rhetoric.
Greenland’s positioning between the U.S., Russia, and Europe makes it a strong geopolitical asset, and Trump has long argued that Denmark cannot be relied upon to protect the island from Russian and Chinese interests.
Trump clashed publicly with NATO allies over the issue earlier this year, and even indicated he may be willing to withdraw the U.S.from the alliance. The row prompted some Republicans to break ranks from Trump, with one GOP lawmaker referring to the annexation threats as “appalling.”
Trump revisited the contentious topic at the NATO summit Ankara, Turkey, in July, insisting that Greenland “should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark.”
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