The European Union is intensifying diplomatic efforts regarding Greenland as the United States pursues greater control of the Arctic island. The EU is signaling support to Greenland’s self-governing government and citizens through official visits and business-focused events. European funding for Greenland has been doubled to 520 million euros in the next multiannual financial framework, representing 45% of total funding for overseas countries and territories, with the possibility of further increases. The EU’s actions are viewed as a political response to Washington and to threats by Donald Trump to annex Greenland. Meanwhile, the U.S. is negotiating with Nuuk and Copenhagen to open additional bases and is seeking sovereignty over areas where bases would be located, veto power over Chinese and Russian investments, and favorable deals to exploit natural resources.
"Brussels keeps sending signals to the Greenlandic government and its citizens. One example is the visit this week by the European commissioner for International Partnerships, Josef Sikela, to take part in a business forum that aims to present the island as a land of major opportunities. The EU official's trip coincides with that of controversial U.S. special envoy Jeff Landry and with the opening of a new U.S. consulate in Nuuk, Greenland's capital, this Thursday."
"Brussels has doubled European funding for Greenland (population 57,000) to 520 million ($603 million) in the next multiannual financial framework; this represents 45% of total funding for overseas countries and territories. In addition, the European Commission has not ruled out increasing that injection of money, which is seen as a political response to Washington and to Trump's threats to annex the island, the world's largest."
"The U.S., which maintains a Cold Warera base on the island, is now negotiating with Nuuk and Copenhagen to open three more in southern Greenland. But the Trump administration's demands go further: it wants sovereignty over the territory that future bases would occupy, seeks veto power for Washington over future Chinese and Russian investments, and aims to sign favorable cooperation deals to exploit Greenland's extraordinary natural resources."
#greenland #european-union-diplomacy #arctic-strategy #us-denmark-relations #natural-resources-and-investment
Read at english.elpais.com
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