EU to invest in Greenland, strengthen Arctic security cooperation: von der Leyen

BRUSSELS - The EU will soon present a substantive package of investments for Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory, and increase spending on Arctic-adapted defence equipment, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

Von der Leyen said that the EU is working to enhance its relationship with Greenland and that "the Commission will soon put forward a substantive package of investments."

She added that the EU will strengthen cooperation with partners on Arctic security, and use defence spending for Arctic-ready equipment, such as a European icebreaker.

"We should strengthen our security and defence arrangements with partners in the region, such as the UK, Canada, Norway and Iceland. This has become a real geopolitical necessity for Greenland," she added.

Leaders of EU member states held an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday night to discuss US threats related to Greenland and assess possible next measures.