The European Union will invest EUR 200 million more in Greenland and strengthen cooperation with the territory, the President of the European Commission announced today that only the Danes and Greenlanders decide the future of the island.
© Lusa
07/09/2026
by
Lusa
Na press conference in Nuuk, after a two-day visit to Greenland, Ursula von der Leyen announced that in 2026 and 2027 the European Union (EU) will invest EUR 200 million more in connectivity, green energy and critical raw materials projects in that Danish autonomous territory.
“Greenland is much more than just a partner for Europe. He is a credible partner, a strategic ally and a precious member of our wider European family,” said Von der Leyen before the Prime Ministers of Greenland, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and Denmark, Mette Frederiksen.
In addition to this EUR 200 million investment package, Von der Leyen also signed a joint declaration with Nielsen and Frederiksen, which “strengthens and extends” cooperation between Greenland and the EU and which “recognises the island’s growing strategic importance”.
“ This statement reflects a clear choice by Greenland to strengthen ties with the EU – in line with your values, your freedom and your interests – but it also shows a strong interest in Europe in making a choice: to be more present and to become more involved in Greenland and the Arctic,” said Von der Leyen.
After a year when US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to use military force to annex Greenland – whose territory he claimed to be indispensable for the national security of the United States – Von der Leyen ensured that the EU expresses “total solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland”.
“ We want to be very clear and reiterate that it is up to the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide the future of Greenland. To no one else”, he said, before recalling that “the territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of borders are fundamental principles of international law”.