Security represents the central point of the EU’s new strategy for the Arctic, against the backdrop of Russia and China’s expanding activity in the region, but also in the context of concerns generated by Trump’s claims over Greenland.
The European Union must change its strategic position in the Arctic, as Russia is consolidating its military presence in this region, and the values underlying the security of the area can no longer be taken for granted, declared on Tuesday the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
“The Arctic is a place where the tectonic plates of geopolitics collide. And it is not someone else’s frontier. It is part of the European Union“, stated von der Leyen, who presented on Tuesday a new EU strategy for the Arctic.
The strategy was launched at a time when regional competition is intensifying as global warming leads to the melting of sea ice. Countries such as Russia, China, and the United States have stepped up their activity, in a race to claim natural resources and new maritime routes.
With three Arctic countries among its 27 members – Denmark, Finland, and Sweden -, the European Union has a direct interest in this matter.
And the repeated threats of President Donald Trump to bring Greenland under US control have unsettled Europe.
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