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🇩🇰 Denmark /Economy & Trade

EU membership is up to Greenlanders, EU commissioner says

From Berlingske · () Danish

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

At a glance

Newswire Named sources New plan
  • EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented €200 million in investments for Greenland during a visit to Nuuk, alongside a new cooperation declaration with Greenland and Denmark.
  • EU Commissioner Jozef Síkela said Greenlanders must decide whether to pursue EU membership, while the declaration focuses on critical raw materials, digital infrastructure, energy, housing and tourism.
  • The EU is seeking a stronger Arctic role as Greenland draws interest from the United States and China, with a new Arctic strategy due in the autumn.

The European Union is offering Greenland €200 million in investments as it reaches more forcefully into an Arctic territory also sought by US President Donald Trump and investment-minded China.

It is up to the Greenlandic population to decide.

· Jozef SíkelaThe EU commissioner said Greenlanders should decide whether the territory seeks EU membership.

During European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Nuuk on Monday, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela said any decision on EU membership belonged to Greenland’s population. “It is up to the Greenlandic population to decide,” Síkela told Ritzau after the signing of a new joint declaration between the EU, Greenland and Denmark. “Our task is to give them a sound basis for deciding who they should partner with.”

The declaration does not directly propose that Greenland join the EU soon. Instead, it calls for broader cooperation in critical raw materials, digital infrastructure, energy, housing and tourism. The investment package amounts to 1.5 billion Danish kroner.

Our task is to give them a sound basis for deciding who they should partner with.

· Jozef SíkelaSíkela described the EU’s role after the signing of a cooperation declaration with Greenland and Denmark.

Greenland belonged to the former European Community until February 1, 1985, when it withdrew to retain full control of its waters and because residents did not want political control from Brussels. It could apply to join the EU again, but that would require a formal application and approval from every EU member state.

We are not facing EU accession. But we are clearly facing greater, perhaps stronger and closer strategic cooperation with the EU.

· Jens-Frederik NielsenGreenland’s prime minister made the distinction in October 2025 between EU membership and closer strategic cooperation.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has so far rejected taking that final step, despite repeated threats from Trump. In October 2025, he said Greenland was not facing EU accession, but clearly faced “greater, perhaps stronger and closer strategic cooperation with the EU.” Síkela said the EU’s new Arctic strategy, due in the autumn, would put greater emphasis on security and economic development alongside climate and Arctic communities.

The Arctic directly affects Europe in terms of climate, security and the economy.

· Jozef SíkelaSíkela explained why the EU is preparing a new Arctic strategy.
About this summary

Originally published by Berlingske in Danish. 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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