Von der Leyen to visit Greenland amid rising Arctic tensions

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to visit the Arctic region in March, including Greenland, underscoring the strategic importance of the High North for the European Union and signaling support for the Danish territory amid renewed interest from Washington.

“President von der Leyen will be visiting the Arctic region, and that will also include Greenland,” Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho told journalists on February 19, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

“The visit should take place in March, but we don’t have an exact date at the moment," Pinhon said. 

The trip comes as the Arctic grows in geopolitical significance. Melting ice driven by climate change is opening new shipping routes and increasing access to natural resources, intensifying competition among global powers.

The EU’s Arctic special envoy, Claude Véron-Réville, has said the region is undergoing “profound changes,” marked by “growing geo-political tensions and geo-economic competition driven by its strategic location.”

Von der Leyen’s visit follows comments by U.S. President Donald Trump renewing interest in acquiring Greenland, a move that has stirred tensions between Brussels and Washington.

In January, von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU’s position, stating: “Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law. … The EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”

By Sabina Mammadli