EU Leaders to Meet Over Arctic Strategy

The European leaders (EU) have prepared to meet in Finland’s northern city of Rovaniemi on Monday to discuss strengthening the bloc’s presence in the Arctic following an international showdown over the strategic region.

The European Arctic Summit comes as US President Donald Trump continues to threaten bringing Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, under US control.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU Council President Antonio Costa are attending Monday’s summit.

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo initiated the meeting to strengthen Europe’s strategic approach to the Arctic.

Tuomas Tikkanen, a senior adviser to Orpo, said the region’s geopolitical and economic importance had grown significantly.

“The idea is essentially to strengthen the EU’s common strategic approach to the Arctic in this situation, where the geopolitical and economic significance of the region is growing considerably,” Tikkanen said.

The summit comes weeks before the European Commission is expected to present a new Arctic strategy that will guide the bloc’s approach to the region in the coming years.

Tikkanen said the meeting was timely because participating countries and leaders could still influence the final strategy.

Interest in the Arctic has increased significantly since the EU adopted its last Arctic policy in 2021.

“The security environment has changed a great deal, and there has been a lot of interest in the region recently,” Tikkanen said.

Leaders are expected to discuss economic and security issues and issue a joint declaration, although no formal decisions are expected.

The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average because of climate change, threatening the environment and local livelihoods.

Melting sea ice has also increased competition among Russia, China and the United States for natural resources and new maritime routes.

China and South Korea sent container ships through the Northern Sea Route in Russian territorial waters in August, testing the route’s growing viability as ice-free periods become longer.

Trump has insisted that US control of Greenland is necessary for national security, although he has ruled out taking the territory by force.

NATO subsequently launched a new mission to strengthen security in the Arctic in an apparent effort to address concerns over the region.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Greenland and announced a 200-million-euro ($232-million) package on September 7.

She pledged that the European Union would “be more present and to be more engaged in Greenland and in the Arctic”.