The European Union, Greenland and Denmark signed a new political declaration in Nuuk as the EU committed €200 million for projects in Greenland during 2026 and 2027. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the Global Gateway package alongside Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Monday, presenting the agreement as a substantial expansion of ties at a time of heightened pressure over the Arctic territory's sovereignty.
The European Commission said the package will support satellite and cable connectivity, hydropower, critical raw materials, education and fisheries. It also listed housing, sustainable tourism and assistance for small businesses among the areas intended to improve daily life and economic resilience. The three governments said their declaration would strengthen investment coordination, political dialogue and exchanges between people.
The agreement carries a broader geopolitical message. Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, while Denmark belongs to both the EU and NATO. Greenland left the European Economic Community in 1985, but its residents hold EU citizenship through Denmark. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly argued that Washington should control Greenland for security reasons, a position rejected by the governments in Nuuk and Copenhagen.
Von der Leyen said decisions about Greenland's future belong to the people of Greenland and Denmark and linked that position to international principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolable borders. Nielsen described the EU as a trusted partner during challenges Greenland cannot address alone, while Frederiksen acknowledged that Denmark and Greenland had faced pressure and welcomed support from European partners. Their remarks were paraphrased in reports by the Commission and international news organizations.
The Commission has also proposed raising support for Greenland from €225 million under the current seven-year EU budget to about €530 million for 2028 through 2034. Reuters reported that melting ice is opening shipping routes and making mineral resources more accessible, increasing competition involving Europe, the United States, Russia and China. The package is therefore both a development program and an attempt to reinforce a durable European role in the Arctic.
The announcement coincided with the start of Arctic Shield exercises in Greenland involving about 400 personnel from 11 NATO countries, according to the Associated Press. The drills are scheduled for September 7 to 18 and do not include US troops. The Commission plans to present a new EU Arctic strategy in the coming months, while talks among the United States, Denmark and Greenland continue without a reported agreement on their dispute.
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