European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is completing her two-day whistlestop tour of the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, on Monday to further European Union-Arctic relations — and gather intelligence as the European Union maps out a new Arctic Policy.
When the policy's first iteration was published in 2021, it made little reference to growing security threats. Instead, the then-EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell emphasised climate change, raw materials and geostrategic influence as central to the document.
But in the years since, the European Commission has admitted the policy needs an urgent revamp to address the changing security and defence environment in the region — a more militarised Russia, for one thing, as well as China's effort to expand its economic footprint as melting ice opens new Arctic Sea routes.
A European Commission spokesperson told Euronews that the updated document will aim to promote “peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region”, and that Brussels is committed to playing a constructive role in the territory.
They said the Arctic had gained “significant global attention” due to its unique environment and role in international dynamics.
