The EU Opens Its Doors to Reluctant Greenlanders
Greenland must have a basis for deciding who it wants to partner with, the EU says.
On Monday, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presented EU investments worth 200 million euros in Greenland. The amount corresponds to 1.5 billion Danish kroner.
Brussels is now seriously reaching out to Greenland, which is also sought after by US President Donald Trump and by investment-hungry China.
During his visit to Nuuk on Monday, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela spoke about possible EU membership for Greenland after the signing of a new joint declaration between the EU, Greenland, and Denmark.
“It is up to the Greenlandic people to decide. Our task is to give them a good basis for deciding who they should be partners with,” Síkela told Ritzau.
The joint declaration, signed during von der Leyen’s visit, focuses on expanding cooperation between the EU and Greenland in areas such as critical raw materials, digital infrastructure, energy, housing, and tourism.
In other words, it does not directly envisage an imminent EU membership for Greenland.
Out of the EC Since 1985
Greenland was a member of the then European Communities until February 1, 1985. It chose to withdraw in order to maintain full control over its own waters, and because the population did not want political control from Brussels.
Greenland can choose to join the EU, but this would require an official application and subsequent approval from all EU member states.
Despite repeated threats from Trump, Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has so far refused to take the final step into the EU.
During the autumn 2025 session, Inatsisartut member Justus Hansen submitted a proposal to prepare a statement of the advantages and disadvantages of rejoining the EU. It was meant to result in a report that could be used for further work.
Opinions were divided on whether membership would be a good idea, but most parties agreed on strengthening cooperation with the EU. The proposal was later withdrawn from the session.
Nielsen did not comment on possible EU membership during the EU visit on Sunday and Monday. But in October 2025 he said: “We are not facing EU membership. But we are clearly facing greater, perhaps stronger and closer, strategic cooperation with the EU.”
A New Arctic Strategy in the Autumn
From the EU’s perspective, however, Greenlanders must be convinced to at least align themselves more closely with the EU than with Trump or China.
This is all part of the EU’s work to strengthen its presence in the Arctic, which will take concrete form in a new Arctic strategy in the autumn.
“The Arctic directly affects Europe in terms of climate, security, and economy. Our new strategy must reflect this,” Síkela said. “The previous EU strategy for the Arctic was primarily about climate and the people of the Arctic. But power politics in the world show that we must focus more on security and economic development.”
Source: Sermitsiaq (in Danish)