During the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday evening, there was clear unity in support of Greenland and Denmark.
This statement was made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference held shortly after midnight following the summit’s conclusion.
She expressed her pleasure that Europe managed to present a united front against U.S. President Donald Trump, who had made threats regarding Greenland and proposed increased tariffs on certain countries.
Von der Leyen emphasized that the EU must enhance its investment in the Arctic to rebuild relations with the United States:
– We have underinvested in Arctic security. We are actively working to strengthen ties with Greenland, and in that vein, we will soon unveil an investment package.
– We also believe that the increase in defense spending should be directed towards equipment for Arctic use, including icebreakers, says von der Leyen.
EU President António Costa noted that the EU and the United States have been longstanding partners with shared interests in Arctic security.
– We will persist in our efforts to maintain a strong relationship with the United States, Costa affirmed.
However, he also called for a new level of respect in the relationship following recent American threats:
– We are always open-hearted with our allies, and we believe that the relationship with the United States should be courteous and based on respect, says António Costa.
He added that following Trump’s decision to abandon additional tariffs on European countries, the EU must now advance the approval process for the trade agreement with the United States.
This serves as a concrete example of the EU’s commitment to pursuing trade relations with the U.S. despite the intense disputes over Greenland.
– We remain prepared to engage in dialogue with the United States on matters of mutual interest, Costa stated.
The trade agreement is still awaiting approval from the European Parliament.
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