Von der Leyen arrives in Greenland with “substantial package”

“ The last time I was here was two years ago and on that occasion I promised that I would come back with a substantial package of measures. And today I can say that I will keep this promise,” said the European leader, in declarations on arrival in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.

The head of the EU executive was received at the airport by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland President Jens-Frederik Nielsen. The Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands, Beinir Johannesen, is also expected to join the three still today.

“ We are a family,” Von der Leyen said.

“What happens in the Arctic directly affects the rest of Europe, and a strong partnership with Greenland is crucial for our position in the region,” stressed European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Sikela, who also participates in the visit.

The President of the European Commission was in Nuuk in March 2024, when Mute B. Egede was president of Greenland.

During that visit, he opened a new EU (EU) office and signed two cooperation agreements worth almost EUR 94 million, which allowed investments in education and training on the island and supported the transition to clean energy.

Since then, the situation in Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, has changed, especially as a result of the repeated aspirations of annexation expressed by the US President Donald Trump, the most recent one last July at the margins of the NATO summit.

Trump then said that Greenland was “very important” to the United States, but “not to Denmark,” and reiterated that Washington “needs Greenland for the protection of the world, not just the United States,” since it claims that Russian and Chinese submarine ships operate near the Arctic island, although both Copenhagen and Nuuk denied it.

The tensions surrounding Trump's aspirations in Greenland have already extended by 2025 and only partially dissipated last January, when the US President reached a pre-arrangement with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Davos (Switzerland) to enhance security in the Arctic.

As a result of this pre-agreement, a working group of US, Greenland and Danish representatives was set up to find solutions to the United States' security interests by the end of the year.

At the same time, the EU is reviewing its Arctic policy to ensure that it is ready to respond to current and future developments.

Von der Leyen plans to announce greater financial support to Greenland during his visit, said the island's Foreign Minister, Mute B. Egede, last Wednesday.

According to the Financial Times, it would be 200 million euros.

A new joint declaration by the EU, the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark on relations between the bloc and the island is also envisaged.

The Head of the European Executive today reaffirmed that the EU and Greenland maintain “long-standing collaboration and friendship” and ensured that they have “worked hard together” in this package of measures “to strengthen the relationship in the coming years”.

In turn, the Danish Prime Minister also stressed that all parties have worked “to bring the European Union closer to all regions of the Kingdom of Denmark, including Greenland”.

“ Now we have something substantial. There are still things to discuss and develop, but the direction is really good”, he added.

On the first day of the trip, Von der Leyen will visit Greenland's ice layer by boat along with Nielsen and Frederiksen, while on Monday the three leaders will launch the improved satellite connectivity project for Greenland at the Tusass facility.