Diplomacy & Geopolitics
Greenland to get €200m EU package amid Trump ambitions
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a €200 million ($232 million) EU investment package for Greenland on Monday during a visit to the Danish autonomous territory, as she said Europe would be more present in Greenland and the Arctic.
The “EU-Greenland Partnership Package” is intended to support connectivity across the vast island, clean energy projects and work on access to critical raw materials. Greenland also plans to use EU funds for infrastructure, including satellite capacity to improve internet access in the north and east of the island.
Von der Leyen spoke in Nuuk after a two-day visit that included meetings with Greenlandic and Danish officials and the signing of a joint statement between Greenland and the European Union.
“Greenland's future is for the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide, no one else,” she told reporters. Greenland's head of government, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Greenland and the European Union need each other.
US President Donald Trump has said Washington needs to control Greenland for national security reasons. Earlier this year, at the height of a diplomatic crisis over the issue, he did not rule out using force to seize the territory, before later ruling out annexing it by force.
The visit coincided with the start of NATO's Arctic Shield military exercise, involving soldiers from 10 countries.
Greenland is heavily dependent on Denmark and its fishing sector and is trying to develop extractive industries to gain more economic autonomy. Brussels hopes the investments will strengthen its relationship with Greenland and diversify Europe's access to critical minerals, which the item says are currently dominated by China.
Another option being explored is whether Greenland could host data centres, which require extensive cooling, to support artificial intelligence. Christian Keldsen, a leading Greenland business figure, said local business interests were pushing for that idea.
Brussels has also proposed doubling direct EU aid to Greenland to €530 million ($616 million) under the bloc's next budget for 2028 to 2034.
Update
Von der Leyen's visit coincided with the start of NATO's Arctic Shield military exercise involving soldiers from 10 countries.
The EU and Greenland signed a joint statement during the visit.
Brussels hopes the investment will deepen ties with Greenland and diversify European access to critical minerals, which the item says are currently dominated by China.
Greenland is exploring satellite capacity improvements for better internet access in the island's north and east.
One idea under discussion is using Greenland's cold conditions to host data centres for artificial intelligence.
Brussels has proposed doubling direct EU aid to Greenland to 530 million euros under the EU's 2028-2034 budget.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 14:36:40 UTC.
Update
Ursula von der Leyen said territorial integrity, sovereignty and the inviolability of borders are fundamental principles of international law.
The remarks were made at a press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic counterpart Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
The EU-Greenland Partnership Package is on top of the doubling of direct EU aid to Greenland.
The package is intended to support concrete projects, including improved satellite capabilities for better internet access in northern and eastern Greenland.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 12:44:44 UTC.
Update
Ursula von der Leyen said Greenland's future is for Greenland and Denmark to decide, and no one else.
She made the statement at a press conference in Nuuk after a two-day visit.
The item links the statement to US President Donald Trump's interest in the Arctic island.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 12:31:14 UTC.
Update
The package is called the EU-Greenland Partnership Package.
The investment priorities are connectivity, clean energy and critical raw materials.
Ursula von der Leyen announced the package after a two-day visit to Nuuk.
Von der Leyen said the 200 million euros would be new investments for this year and next.
Source note: AFP news report published on 7 September 2026 at 12:19:57 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The exact allocation and timetable for the €200 million package are not fully specified beyond the described project areas.
The proposed increase in direct EU aid for 2028-2034 has not been described as finally approved.
Source
AFP news report published on .