The European Union has unveiled a €200 million ($232 million) investment package for Greenland, deepening its economic and political presence in the Arctic territory as US President Donald Trump continues to push for greater American control of the island.
Trump wants Greenland, but the EU is fighting back with $232 million as the US quietly courts Africa’s critical minerals with a softer tone
- The EU has announced a €200 million investment package for Greenland to strengthen economic and political ties, covering sectors like energy, mining, tourism, and digital connectivity.
- Brussels signals a long-term commitment to Greenland with a proposed additional €530 million investment from 2028 to 2034.
- The EU’s move comes amid increasing US pressure for control over Greenland, with President Trump making aggressive statements about American interests in the island.
- Greenland and European leaders have strongly rejected US threats and rhetoric, emphasizing respect, rule of law, and friendship.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the package during a visit to Greenland, describing the territory as a “strategic ally” and “trusted friend” of the EU.
The funding, covering 2026 and 2027, will support digital connectivity, sustainable mining, energy, tourism, education, fisheries and housing.
Brussels has also proposed €530 million for Greenland between 2028 and 2034, signalling a longer-term European commitment to the strategically important territory.
The investment comes months after Trump used increasingly confrontational language while pressing his case for US control of Greenland.
“We are going to do something on Greenland whether they like it or not,” Trump said in January.
“I would like to make a deal the easy way, but if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way,” he added.
Trump has argued that control of Greenland is important to US national security, citing the growing presence of Russia and China in the Arctic.
His remarks triggered strong resistance from Greenland and European leaders.
Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said “threats, pressure, and talk of annexation have no place between friends”, adding: “Enough is enough. No more fantasies about annexation.”
French President Emmanuel Macron later delivered one of Europe’s strongest responses, saying: “We do prefer respect to bullies” and “we do prefer rule of law to brutality.”
Trump’s pressure may, however, have produced another consequence.
Military strategy professor Mauro Gilli told Reutersthat Trump’s threats had accelerated moves towards stronger Arctic security and “might have produced a positive outcome”, as European governments devote more political, financial and military resources to the region.
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Aviaja Fontain lives in Nuuk, Greenland.Courtesy of Aviaja FontainBusiness Insider USA
While President Donald Trump’s approach to Greenland has strained relations with European allies, Washington has adopted a more transactional and conciliatory tone in Africa, where diplomacy and investment are increasingly tied to access to critical minerals.
The shift is notable for a president who, during his first term in 2018, was reported to have referred to African nations and Haiti as “shithole countries”.
President Trump denied using the phrase at the time but acknowledged the remark at a rally in December 2025, according to the Associated Press.
Since returning to office, however, the US president has struck a markedly different tone towards African countries, courting their leaders with promises of trade and investment as Washington seeks greater access to the continent’s critical minerals.
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The Democratic Republic of Congo is a key example, with President Trump brokering a DRC-Rwanda deal aimed at easing tensions and attracting Western investment.
Speaking alongside DRC President Félix Tshisekedi in February, the president described their agreement as “the largest minerals deal in US Africa history” and said major American companies were “going in”.
That diplomatic push has also moved towards specific mineral projects. In January, the DRC sent Washington a shortlist of state-owned manganese, copper-cobalt, gold and lithium assets for US investors to consider under the minerals partnership.
President Trump has also highlighted Africa’s resource wealth, describing the countries of African leaders he hosted at the White House in July 2025 as having “very valuable land, great minerals, great oil deposits”.
Washington has backed that interest with investment, including $553 million for the Lobito Atlantic Railway linking Angola, the DRC and Zambia, alongside critical-minerals initiatives in Madagascar, Kenya and Tanzania.
These moves place Africa alongside Greenland as an important front in Washington’s push for strategic resources.
But the larger contest remains with China, whose dominance of critical-mineral supply chains continues to shape US investment, diplomacy and security policy across both regions.
