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🇱🇹 Lithuania /Elections & Politics

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen arrives in Greenland

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Ursula von der Leyen began a two-day Greenland visit to reinforce European support for the Danish autonomous territory amid U.S. pressure over the island.
  • Her agenda includes meetings with Greenlandic and Danish officials and the signing of a joint Greenland-EU statement.
  • The EU has proposed doubling direct support for Greenland to 530 million euros in its 2028-2034 budget, while von der Leyen is expected to offer an additional 200 million euros.

“We are family,” Ursula von der Leyen said after arriving in Nuuk, where Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen welcomed her. The European Commission president came to Greenland for a two-day visit designed to send a clear message: the autonomous Danish territory belongs to Europe, not the United States.

We are family.

· Ursula von der LeyenShe made the remark after arriving in Nuuk, where Greenlandic and Danish leaders welcomed her.

Her schedule includes a boat trip among icebergs, meetings with senior Greenlandic and Danish officials, and the signing of a joint statement between Greenland and the European Union. “Europe keeps its promises,” von der Leyen said. “We are expanding our cooperation into new areas, from better and faster connectivity and clean energy to critical raw materials.”

The visit follows Donald Trump's earlier insistence that Washington should control Greenland on national security grounds. He ultimately rejected taking the island by force. Since then, working groups from Denmark, Greenland and the United States have met regularly to seek a way to cooperate in the future.

Europe keeps its promises.

· Ursula von der LeyenShe used the phrase while outlining European cooperation with Greenland.

European countries backed Denmark and Greenland after Trump's threats. In January, von der Leyen promised major EU investment to strengthen security in the Arctic. Brussels has proposed doubling direct EU support for Greenland to 530 million euros in the bloc's 2028-2034 budget. The Financial Times reported that von der Leyen was expected to offer another 200 million euros during her visit.

We are expanding our cooperation into new areas, from better and faster connectivity and clean energy to critical raw materials.

· Ursula von der LeyenShe described the areas covered by the EU's expanding cooperation with Greenland.

Her trip coincides with the start of NATO's Arctic Shield exercises, involving troops from 10 countries. A Quebec University geopolitics researcher called the timing “not quite an insignificant coincidence.” A Danish Defence College researcher said Greenland was becoming more important to the EU as a gateway to the Arctic, because of its geopolitical position, critical raw materials and role in Arctic security. The article also says U.S. pressure continues, including monthly “postcards” from Trump or people close to him, while reports of preparatory work by a Texas-based oil company in eastern Greenland have renewed local concern.

Greenland is becoming more important to the EU as a gateway to the Arctic and because of its geopolitical position, critical raw materials and role in Arctic security.

· Marc JacobsenThe Royal Danish Defence College researcher explained Greenland's growing importance to the EU before the visit.
About this summary

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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