Brussels allocates 200 million to strengthen its alliance with Greenland against the claims of the US

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced this Monday a package of 200 million euros in investments for Greenland with which she seeks to strengthen her alliance with the island and expand the presence of the European Union in the Arctic, at a time marked by the claims of the United States over the autonomous Danish territory.

The package, framed in the ‘Global Gateway’ program to expand the influence of the Twenty-Seven in the world, will be invested between this year and next and will be aimed mainly at digital connectivity projects, renewable energy and critical raw materials, although it also includes actions in areas such as housing and sustainable tourism.

“Greenland can count on the EU,” Von der Leyen claimed during her visit to Nuuk, where she defended that new investments will create “new opportunities” and guarantee a “strong and committed” European Union both in Greenland and in the Arctic. “Greenland is a strategic ally and a trusted friend,” he stressed.

Von der Leyen has also expressed the EU’s full solidarity “with the Kingdom of Denmark and with the people of Greenland”, as she has reiterated that “the future of Greenland must be decided by the people of Greenland and Denmark. No one else.”

“Territorial integrity, sovereignty, inviolability of borders. These are fundamental principles of International Law, and we know that the Arctic has become one of the places where the tectonic plates of geopolitics collide. That is why we have a direct interest in what happens here, and that is why we are preparing a new EU strategy for the Arctic,” he continued.

The visit of the president of the Community Executive to the Arctic island – where she has met with the Greenlandic Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen – – comes after the US President, Donald Trump, has on several occasions claimed control of Greenland, alleging national security reasons.

These claims by Washington have been rejected by the Greenlandic and Danish authorities, as well as by the European Union, which has repeatedly stated that it is exclusively up to the citizens of Greenland to decide the future of the island.

200 MILLION FOR CONNECTIVITY, ENERGY AND RAW MATERIALS

Specifically, the 200 million announced by Brussels will serve to finance digital connectivity projects, sustainable raw materials and clean energy, in addition to preparing new actions in areas such as tourism and housing. The Commission and the Greenlandic authorities have already agreed on a first set of projects, while studying new investments under the package, as indicated by the European Executive in a statement.

In connectivity, the EU will support the expansion of Greenland’s satellite capacity through European providers over the next five years to improve the “speed, reliability and resilience” of communications, especially in the most remote populations. Brussels will also finance studies to determine the “feasibility” of developing data centers on the island.

In terms of strategic resources, part of the funds will be used to promote sustainable mining projects connected to the European industry, through technical analysis and the search for investors, with the aim of achieving “more integrated and resilient” value chains. Brussels points to graphite and molybdenum projects as examples of the potential of this cooperation and its contribution to strengthening “security of supply.”

The package will also finance a program by the Greenlandic energy company Nukissiorfiit to “modernize and decarbonize” the electricity supply in remote locations through hybrid renewable energy systems, which are expected to reinforce the “reliability” of the supply and expand the use of clean energy.

The remaining funds will be used to prepare new programs mainly in sustainable tourism and housing, after considering the former as one of the “most immediate and promising” opportunities to diversify the economy, develop the private sector and create jobs in Greenland, while housing is seen as an “essential” element to address the aging of the housing stock and promote sustainable growth.

NEW FRAMEWORK OF RELATIONS WITH GREENLAND

Beyond the investment package, Von der Leyen has signed with Nielsen and Frederiksen a new joint declaration that updates the framework of relations between the EU, Greenland and Denmark and seeks to reinforce the common investment agenda, political dialogue and exchanges between its citizens.

The declaration, which replaces the one agreed in 2015, recognizes the growing “strategic importance” of Greenland and expands cooperation to areas such as infrastructure, clean energy production, digital connectivity or sustainable raw materials, in addition to traditional sectors such as education, fisheries, the environment and the fight against climate change.

The strengthening of relations also comes after the Commission proposed to significantly increase financial support to Greenland in the coming years. Specifically, Brussels has asked to reserve 530 million euros for the island in the community budget from 2028 to 2034, more than double the 225 million allocated for the current 2021-2027 financial framework.