Europe07 September, 20263 min read
Ursula von der Leyen Arrives in Nuuk to Sign EU Greenland Partnership Declaration
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EU pledges €200 million investment package for Greenland during von der Leyen's Nuuk visit. Greenland and EU sign a new joint declaration expanding cooperation in infrastructure, energy, and connectivity.
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Von der Leyen in Nuuk
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Nuuk, Greenland, for a two-day visit aimed at consolidating a partnership with the Danish autonomous territory that Donald Trump has sought to control. At her arrival, von der Leyen said, "Nous sommes une famille," and Reuters and other outlets tied the trip to the EU’s effort to keep Greenland aligned with Europe rather than the United States. The visit’s agenda includes meetings with Greenland’s prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen, and a planned signing of a joint declaration between the EU and Greenland.
The political context is the earlier crisis in which Trump even raised the possibility "d'utiliser la force" to seize the territory, prompting a Denmark/Greenland/United States working group to seek a durable way forward. Brussels also framed the trip as a response to ongoing pressure, with the Boursorama report noting that Europeans continued to send solidarity messages because threats could "à tout moment" resurface.
€200 million package
Multiple outlets said von der Leyen planned to announce a €200 million envelope for 2026 and 2027 during her Greenland visit, as the EU sought to strengthen its ties with Nuuk. L'Express reported that the funds were to be used notably to develop critical raw materials, renewable energy, submarine cables, satellite communications, and data centers, with part of the money allocated to the Greenlandic government to strengthen administrative capacities. DW described the same package as "200 million euros of new investments for Greenland for this year and the next," and said it focused on connectivity, clean energy and critical raw materials.
In a joint press conference, von der Leyen told reporters, "Territorial integrity sovereignty, the inviolability of borders, these are fundamental principles of international law," linking the investment push to sovereignty concerns. RFI also said the visit would include a signing of a joint declaration between the EU and Greenland, with von der Leyen carrying a single message that the territory must exist with Europe rather than with the United States.
Arctic Shield and stakes
The EU’s Greenland push is occurring alongside NATO-linked military activity, with RFI saying von der Leyen’s visit coincides with the start of the Arctic Shield exercise under NATO auspices.
“No U.S. troops are taking part in the Arctic Shield drills, which run Sept. 7-18.”
RFI described Arctic Shield as "a major military exercise in Greenland under NATO auspices" that would bring together more than a dozen nations and 400 military personnel, and said it was aimed at preparing Greenland’s resilience against an enemy.
ABC News added that 11 NATO countries began military exercises in Greenland on Monday involving around 400 military personnel, and said the drills run Sept. 7-18 with no U.S. troops taking part.
In parallel, the sources tied the EU’s engagement to the strategic stakes of critical minerals and connectivity, with rts.ch saying Brussels proposed to double EU direct aid to Greenland to 530 million euros for 2028-2034.
DW further framed the stakes through von der Leyen’s emphasis that "Greenland's future is for the people of Greenland and Denmark to decide, no one else," as Trump’s claims continued to raise sovereignty concerns and tensions within NATO.