EU unveils proposal to increase presence in Arctic region

Lorne Cook, Associated Press

The European Union has laid out a plan to increase its footprint in the Arctic as global warming, conflict and competition for energy resources and critical minerals pose fresh challenges.

The move comes after threats from US President Donald Trump to take control of Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, and after he left Iceland uneasy by posting a map with the colours of the American flag over both islands.

Other pressures are mounting as the Arctic warms about four times faster than the global average.

New shipping routes are opening, China is doing more trade through the Arctic region and a Russian military build-up is also heightening security concerns.

European Commission (EC) president Ursula von der Leyen said: “When we see that sovereignty, territorial integrity and the rules that have underpinned stability in the region can no longer be taken for granted, we have to act and change our strategic posture.”

The EU wants to help set up a cable centre to monitor, protect and repair undersea communications cables in the North Atlantic and Arctic. Russian submarines are suspected of planning to sabotage some marine infrastructure there.

EU funds would be spent on cameras, sensors and satellites to detect potential threats.

At the same time, the EC intends to “support the delivery of a sovereign, secure and resilient submarine cable” that would connect Greenland directly to the EU, according to a new strategy document.

The cable monitoring operation would be part of a larger maritime security hub the 27-nation bloc intends to set up to track the often-decrepit vessels that Russia uses in its shadow fleet to illicitly ship oil and raise funds for its war on Ukraine.

This hub would also be on the lookout for illegal fishing or pollution and help in search-and-rescue efforts.

In parallel, the EU wants to build up its fleet of icebreaker ships to move more effectively through the Arctic and expand research. Officials estimate that Europe has around 10 icebreakers, most of them in Finland. By comparison, Russia has around 40.

More broadly, transport connections between the Arctic and Europe will be improved, for both civilian and military use.

A key part of the EU’s plan is to link European infrastructure like ports, rail connections, energy terminals, satellite and digital infrastructure to Arctic trade and transport networks, with the aim of better connecting the region to Europe’s markets.

The EU believes it has an important stake in the Arctic. More than half a million EU citizens live there. Denmark, Finland and Sweden are members of the bloc while Iceland and Norway are part of Europe’s single market.

It also intends to work closely with partners like Canada and the UK.

At the same time, the EU insists it is not trying to claim the Arctic as its own.

It does not intend to drill for oil or gas and refuses to buy fossil fuels that are extracted there, including from its partner Norway.

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