Von der Leyen highlights the mutual need between the EU and Greenland

Brussels. Ursula von der Leyen sought to project an image diametrically opposed to that of Donald Trump on her second trip to Greenland as President of the Commission. “We are a family,” she wrote on X upon landing in Nuuk, the capital of the autonomous territory under Danish sovereignty, which the US President regularly threatens to annex, by force if necessary. Yesterday, von der Leyen signed a new partnership agreement, accompanied by a €200 million package for 2026 and 2027, tailored to Greenland’s priorities: satellite connectivity, sustainable tourism, clean energy, crisis preparedness, civil protection, climate change and critical raw materials. Von der Leyen, who had made her first visit in 2024 to open an EU representative office when Trump’s return to the White House still seemed unthinkable, was careful not to offend Greenlandic sensibilities. The joint statement “reflects a clear choice made by Greenland to strengthen ties with the EU in line with your values, your freedom and your interests”, she explained. The Commission President declined to mention Trump by name, leaving it to the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, to highlight the threat. “Geopolitical developments play a role,” was all von der Leyen would say. “The Kingdom of Denmark is a sovereign state, a member of the EU and NATO. We have been under considerable pressure; this has been evident,” added Frederiksen. “We are very grateful for the tremendous support we have received from our European partners.”

Greenland was the only instance of the EU and its member states standing firm against Trump. When, at the start of the year, the US president raised the prospect of using force to seize the territory, the EU reacted in unison by threatening to use the Anti-Coercion Instrument (its ‘trade bazooka’). A group of European countries – including France, Germany and the United Kingdom – sent small contingents of soldiers to the territory. Faced with the prospect of having to fire on NATO allies and face a trade war, Trump backed down. But the US president has not completely given up on Greenland. The presence of the EU – as well as military forces from European countries – is regarded by Denmark and the local authorities as a form of deterrent. On the security of Greenland and the Arctic, “Europe will not be a bystander”, explained Frederiksen. Four hundred soldiers from eleven European countries (Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Canada, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovenia and Poland) are taking part in the Arctic Shield exercises, which began yesterday. “Thank you to the allies who are here now, and who will be here in the coming weeks, months and years,” said the Danish Prime Minister. Von der Leyen announced that the EU’s new Arctic strategy will be published in the autumn and will change the EU’s approach to the region. The Arctic will no longer be regarded “as a distant north”, but as “our northern neighbourhood”.

The EU has strategic economic interests in Greenland, particularly regarding access to critical raw materials. However, von der Leyen placed particular emphasis on the direct benefits for the citizens of Greenland. An initial project is set to provide satellite connectivity to residents in the north of the territory as early as today. On the subject of raw materials, von der Leyen also sought to highlight the tangible benefits of EU-funded investments. “Everyone knows that Greenland possesses immense resources. And we have agreed that these must be used to create value, jobs and growth here in the country. It is with this mindset that we are working on two major projects” for the extraction of molybdenum and graphite, von der Leyen explained. Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, used very different words when speaking of the EU than those he reserves for Trump. The EU is a “loyal and trusted friend. In these difficult times, its support has been unwavering”, explained Nielsen. Over the last 10 years, since the first joint declaration was signed, “the world has changed drastically and we face new challenges that we cannot tackle alone”, said Nielsen: “We need each other”.