European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday announced a 200-million-euro ($232-million) package for Greenland during a visit to the Danish autonomous territory, which she vowed to support in the face of US President Donald Trump’s ambitions.<\/p>\n
As von der Leyen wrapped up a two-day visit to the vast island, she said Europe would “be more present and to be more engaged in Greenland and in the Arctic”.<\/p>\n
Trump insists Washington needs to control Greenland for national security reasons, though he ultimately ruled out annexing it by force earlier this year.<\/p>\n
The 200-million-euro “EU-Greenland Partnership Package” package will finance projects to improve connectivity across the immense territory, include investments in clean energy and explore access to critical raw materials.<\/p>\n
Von der Leyen’s tour included a boat trip among icebergs, meetings with top Greenlandic and Danish officials and the signing a joint statement between Greenland and the European Union.<\/p>\n
Her visit coincided with the start of NATO’s Arctic Shield military exercise, bringing together soldiers from 10 countries.<\/p>\n
Von der Leyen has hammered home the message that Greenland should stand with Europe rather than with the United States.<\/p>\n
Trump’s designs for Greenland triggered a diplomatic crisis at the beginning of the year, as stunned Europeans suddenly saw their long-time ally, on whom they rely for their security, begin to threaten them.<\/p>\n
At the height of the crisis, Trump would not rule out using force to seize the territory of 57,000 inhabitants, sowing anxiety within the EU and NATO.<\/p>\n
– ‘Greenland, EU need each other’ –<\/p>\n
Seven months have passed and tensions have cooled somewhat.<\/p>\n
But the US president never completely abandoned his intention bring the territory under US control.<\/p>\n
Without mentioning Trump’s name, von der Leyen did reference to the January crisis.<\/p>\n
“Greenland’s future is for the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide, no one else,” she told reporters in the capital Nuuk.<\/p>\n
Speaking at her side, Greenland’s head of government Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Greenland needs the European Union and vice-versa.<\/p>\n
Greenland, which is currently heavily dependent on Denmark and its fishing sector, is struggling to develop extractive industries to gain greater economic autonomy.<\/p>\n
It plans to use the new EU funds to develop infrastructure projects, including improving satellite capacity to provide better internet access in the north and east of the island.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Brussels hopes the investments will achieve two goals: building a relationship with Greenland and diversifying Europe’s access to critical minerals, currently dominated by China.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another avenue being explored is the idea that Greenland, with its ice sheet and frigid turquoise waters, could host data centres, which require extensive cooling, to power artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n
A prospect Christian Keldsen, a leading business figure in Greenland, viewed particularly favourably.<\/p>\n
“Oh yeah we’re definitely pushing for that,” he told reporters.<\/p>\n
Brussels has proposed doubling direct EU aid to Greenland to 530 million euros ($616 million) under the bloc’s next budget for the 2028\u20132034 period.<\/p>\n
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