European Union pledges closer ties with Greenland

• World World World
• Greenland Greenland Greenland

Eight months after the US threatened to annex the autonomous Danish territory, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen traveled to Nuuk on September 6 and 7. There, she unveiled a €200 million support package for the island.

Subscribers only

All eyes were on Greenland. A week after the referendum in Iceland, which failed to revive negotiations on joining the European Union (EU), Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, visited Nuuk, the other major Arctic island, on Sunday, September 6, and Monday, September 7, to "further strengthen [their] unique partnership."

Eight months after President Donald Trump threatened to invade Greenland, the head of the EU's executive arm, accompanied by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, was eager to reinforce ties with this autonomous territory of 57,000 people, which is dependent on the Danish crown but not an EU member.

"Greenland's future is for the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide. No one else," von der Leyen said. In response, Trump posted on his network, Truth Social, a map of the United States, Canada, and Greenland adorned with the American flag.

For Greenland, the visit had been highly anticipated. Local government leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Monday that the EU "remains not only an important partner for Greenland," but also "a loyal and trusted friend," thanking Brussels and the 27 member states for their "unfailing" support in these "challenging times."

You have 74.36% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.