Greenland visit by EU chief to boost Arctic ties

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to begin a two-day visit to Greenland on Sunday as the European Union seeks to strengthen ties with the Arctic territory.

Von der Leyen is due on Monday to sign a joint declaration between the European Union and Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark that is not part of the EU.

Brussels has proposed doubling direct EU aid to Greenland to 530 million euros, or $616 million, under the bloc's next budget for 2028 to 2034. The Financial Times reported that von der Leyen is expected to propose another 200 million euros in support during the visit.

The trip follows renewed attention on Greenland's strategic position, Arctic security and mineral resources. US President Donald Trump said earlier this year that Washington needed to control the island for national security reasons, though he later ruled out annexing it by force.

A Danish-Greenlandic-US working group has since met regularly on future cooperation. European countries broadly backed Denmark and Greenland after Trump's remarks, and von der Leyen said in January that the EU would make “massive” investments in Greenland to strengthen Arctic security.

The visit also coincides with the start of NATO's Arctic Shield military exercise, which brings together soldiers from 10 countries.

Marc Jacobsen, a researcher at the Royal Danish Defence College, told AFP that Greenland is increasingly important to the EU because of its Arctic gateway role, geopolitical location, critical raw materials and role in Arctic security. He said the EU could not provide Greenland with a military security guarantee like NATO, but could send a political signal that Greenland was not alone.

Von der Leyen is scheduled to meet Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and the head of government of the Faroe Islands, Denmark's other self-governing territory.

Greenland is also trying to develop its mining industry. Jacobsen said Greenland needs investment, infrastructure and markets, while the EU wants more secure access to critical raw materials. AFP reported that more than 60 companies hold about 135 mining permits in Greenland, but only two mines are operating.