EU Commission chief unveils investment package for Greenland
Photo: Ursula von der Leyen (Getty Images)
The European Commission will soon present a substantial investment package for Greenland. The investments should help strengthen the European Union's relations with the island, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
"We should strengthen our security and defense arrangements with partners in the region, such as the UK, Canada, Norway, Iceland, and others. This has become a real geopolitical necessity," von der Leyen says.
She also notes that the EU intends to strengthen cooperation on Greenland, including with the US. With this money, Europeans will allocate funds for the purchase of equipment for the Arctic, in particular a European icebreaker.
Situation around Greenland
On January 21, US President Donald Trump, after meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, announced that the parties had identified the key principles of future agreements concerning Greenland and the Arctic region in general.
Before this, Trump had repeatedly stated the need to strengthen American influence in Greenland, explaining this by the need to deploy elements of the Golden Dome missile defense system on the island.
According to media reports, the proposed framework agreement preserves Denmark's sovereignty over Greenland, while allowing the deployment of US missile defense components on its territory. In addition, the defense agreement between the US and Denmark, in force since 1951, is expected to be revised and modernized.
On January 22, Mark Rutte stressed that the issue of changing Greenland's sovereignty status was not discussed during negotiations with Trump.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen supported the agreements reached and expressed Copenhagen's readiness to continue the dialogue within the framework of forming a new security system in the Arctic.
