Coveted Arctic island: EU expands cooperation with Greenland in message to Trump

The European Union is expanding its cooperation with Greenland despite US President Donald Trump's demands for control of the Arctic island. During a visit to the resource-rich territory, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signed a declaration to deepen economic and political relations with Greenland.

She also announced a new investment package worth 200 million euros. The money will be invested this year and next year in projects including the development of critical raw materials and secure internet connections through satellites and undersea cables. Part of the funding will help Greenland strengthen its administrative capacity. The plans also include preparations for sustainable tourism and housing programs.

The declaration calls for closer cooperation on cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection and countering hybrid threats. Those threats include disinformation campaigns and other attempts at outside influence. Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said at a news conference that Greenland needs the European Union, and the EU needs Greenland.

The visit carries added weight because the United States has claimed Greenland on security grounds and sought to force a sale of the island to the US. Trump first raised the idea of buying Greenland in 2019, when many in Denmark and Greenland treated it as a joke. He revived the issue before beginning his second term and has steadily increased pressure since then.

Trump argues that Denmark cannot protect the world's largest island from Russia and China. Greenland's population is just under 57,000, and its extensive deposits of critical raw materials have also made it attractive to the United States.

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Greenland needs the European Union, and the European Union needs Greenland.