Von der Leyen arrives in Greenland for an explosive visit

Sought after island

Von der Leyen arrives in Greenland for an explosive visit

US President Donald Trump is making no move to give up his claims to Greenland. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen now wants to set an example with a visit.

The EU wants your cooperation Greenland regardless of the US President’s claims to control Donald Trump expand. President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrived on Sunday for a two-day visit to the resource-rich Arctic island. A new EU-Greenland declaration is to be signed there this Monday. Investment commitments in the three-digit million range are also expected.

Von der Leyen said upon her arrival that the aim was to further consolidate a unique partnership. “We are family,” she wrote on social networks. Greenland is part of the kingdom Denmarkbut is largely autonomous and not part of the EU.

The German was received on the Airport from Nuuk by the Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and the Danish head of government Mette Frederiksen. Nielsen said at a short joint press event that von der Leyen’s visit represented a very close friendship, a good partnership and something that they wanted to continue to build on. The first major item on the agenda was a boat tour into the Arctic landscape with the Commission President and Frederiksen.

Von der Leyen’s visit is explosive because… USA claiming security interests in Greenland and wanting to force a sale of the huge island to the United States. President Trump argues that Denmark is not the largest island in the world Russia and China could protect. In addition, the territory with just under 57,000 inhabitants is also interesting because of its extensive reserves of critical raw materials.

Trump last renewed his claims to control Greenland in July and also linked them to the current review of the US troop presence in Europe. Accordingly, the USA could reduce its contribution to deterring Russia if it does not reach a good agreement on the future of Greenland.

It remained unclear recently whether Trump still sees himself bound by an agreement brokered by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in January. This actually intended to ensure security in the Arctic through the joint action of the Allies, in particular through that of the seven Arctic Allies USA, CanadaDenmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland.

According to information from NATO circles, the USA should also be allowed to expand its military presence in Greenland and may also have the right to have a say in certain investments.