European Commission set to announce Greenland funding package

Ursula von der Leyen and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen have arrived in Nuuk ahead of an expected major European Commission funding announcement for Greenland.

The two leaders will hold a joint news conference with Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen. Von der Leyen said the visit would build on her previous trip, when she opened Europe’s House in the Greenlandic capital.

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Two years ago, I came here to open Europe’s House.

“Two years ago, I came here to open Europe’s House,” von der Leyen said in a statement. She called it “a clear sign of Europe’s growing engagement in Greenland, and right across the vast expanse of the Arctic.”

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A clear sign of Europe’s growing engagement in Greenland, and right across the vast expanse of the Arctic.

She said the EU was expanding cooperation into faster connectivity, clean energy and critical raw materials, while also creating opportunities in connectivity and skills. The partnership would include investment in better housing and other improvements to daily life, she said.

“Behind these ambitions, we have put EU funding, with a Partnership Package for this year and the next,” von der Leyen said. She added that the next EU budget proposal would more than double investment in Greenland, saying, “Because we are building this partnership for the long term.”

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

Greenland has attracted renewed geopolitical attention since US President Donald Trump threatened earlier this year to seize the island by force.

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Because we are building this partnership for the long term.