European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday announced a 200-million-euro ($232-million) package for Greenland during a visit to the Danish autonomous territory, which she vowed to support in the face of US President Donald Trump’s ambitions.
– As von der Leyen wrapped up a two-day visit to the vast island, she said Europe would “be more present and to be more engaged in Greenland and in the Arctic”.
– Trump insists Washington needs to control Greenland for national security reasons, though he ultimately ruled out annexing it by force earlier this year.
– The 200-million-euro “EU-Greenland Partnership Package” package will finance projects to improve connectivity across the immense territory, include investments in clean energy and explore access to critical raw materials.
– Von der Leyen’s tour included a boat trip among icebergs, meetings with top Greenlandic and Danish officials and the signing a joint statement between Greenland and the European Union.
– Her visit coincided with the start of NATO’s Arctic Shield military exercise, bringing together soldiers from 10 countries.
– Von der Leyen has hammered home the message that Greenland should stand with Europe rather than with the United States.
– Trump’s designs for Greenland triggered a diplomatic crisis at the beginning of the year, as stunned Europeans suddenly saw their long-time ally, on whom they rely for their security, begin to threaten them.
– At the height of the crisis, Trump would not rule out using force to seize the territory of 57,000 inhabitants, sowing anxiety within the EU and NATO.
– Seven months have passed and tensions have cooled somewhat.
– But the US president never completely abandoned his intention bring the territory under US control.
– Without mentioning Trump’s name, von der Leyen did reference to the January crisis.
– “Greenland’s future is for the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide, no one else,” she told reporters in the capital Nuuk.
– Speaking at her side, Greenland’s head of government Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Greenland needs the European Union and vice-versa.
– Greenland, which is currently heavily dependent on Denmark and its fishing sector, is struggling to develop extractive industries to gain greater economic autonomy.
– It plans to use the new EU funds to develop infrastructure projects, including improving satellite capacity to provide better internet access in the north and east of the island.
– Meanwhile, Brussels hopes the investments will achieve two goals: building a relationship with Greenland and diversifying Europe’s access to critical minerals, currently dominated by China.
– Another avenue being explored is the idea that Greenland, with its ice sheet and frigid turquoise waters, could host data centres, which require extensive cooling, to power artificial intelligence.
– A prospect Christian Keldsen, a leading business figure in Greenland, viewed particularly favourably.
– “Oh yeah we’re definitely pushing for that,” he told reporters.
– Brussels has proposed doubling direct EU aid to Greenland to 530 million euros ($616 million) under the bloc’s next budget for the 2028–2034 period.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/eu-chief-announces-200-mn-143640028.html