EU Plans Fresh Greenland Investment As Trump Renews Annexation Push

The European Union is preparing a major investment package for Greenland as the bloc moves to strengthen ties with the Danish Arctic territory amid President Donald Trump’s push for US control of the island.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Greenland on Sunday for a two-day visit aimed at reaffirming European support for Greenland and Denmark.

Von der Leyen is expected to announce increased EU investment in critical minerals, satellite communications and renewable energy during the visit.

She described the planned package as “substantial” but did not disclose its value.

Greenland Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen welcomed the initiative, saying the territory wanted to deepen its relationship with the European bloc.

The visit comes as the Arctic gains strategic importance among major powers. Melting ice has opened new shipping possibilities while making the region’s mineral resources easier to access.

The United States, Russia, China and European countries have all increased their focus on the Arctic as competition for influence grows.

After a boat trip through a Greenlandic fjord, von der Leyen highlighted the impact of climate change on the island’s ice sheet.

“Greenland’s stunning landscapes and natural beauty will stay with me for a long time. But so will the visible scars of climate change on the ice sheet,” she said in a post on X.

“As the ice melts, a new reality is taking shape,” she added.

Trump’s renewed interest in Greenland has strained relations between Washington and its European allies. He has repeatedly argued that the United States should control the territory.

The US president has also questioned Denmark’s ability to defend Greenland, despite both countries belonging to NATO.

European officials have stressed that Greenland falls within NATO territory and benefits from the alliance’s mutual defence arrangements.

They have also noted that the United States already maintains military rights in Greenland under a longstanding agreement with Denmark.

Tensions eased somewhat after Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte agreed in January to open talks involving the United States, Denmark and Greenland.

The agreement also included plans for NATO to strengthen its role in Arctic security.

However, the talks have yet to produce a settlement. Trump again insisted at a NATO summit in Turkey in July that Washington should take control of Greenland.

Although Denmark remains an EU member, Greenland left the bloc in 1985. Greenlanders, however, hold Danish citizenship and therefore retain EU citizenship.

The EU has funded Greenland for years, mainly through payments linked to fishing rights and support for education.

The new package will expand that support and direct more funding towards strategic sectors, according to EU officials.

The planned investment could also give Greenland greater economic options as it seeks to develop its natural resources while maintaining control over its future.

The move further underlines Europe’s determination to deepen its presence in the Arctic as geopolitical competition intensifies around the strategically important territory.