Trump’s threats towards the territory have “put a bit of urgency behind the E.U.’s efforts,” Bego adds, but notes there are also other factors, such as the economic benefits of critical mineral mining.
The emphasis on improving satellite communications in the Arctic region is particularly interesting, experts tell TIME, given Greenland’s previous rejection of Starlink, the satellite internet technology made by Elon Musk’s Space X.
Greenland “has been quite worried about going with a U.S. provider, given the recent geopolitics,” says Bego.
Upon arriving in Nuuk on Sunday, von der Leyen had pointed towards the climate crisis while referencing security in the region.
Remarking on the “visible scars of climate change on the ice sheet,” she said a “new reality is taking shape” as the ice melts. “New trade routes, new security risks, new environmental concerns. Europe stands with Greenland. We will navigate these changes together,” she vowed.
