politics
The EU Arctic Summit:
12 European States Call on EU to Expand Arctic Presence Amid Growing Threats
Speaking to reporters on Monday in Rovaniemi, Finland, Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, said the bloc had to remain "vigilant" in the face of increasing Russian military activity in the Arctic, as well as China's growing interest in the region.
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12 European nations have urged the European Union to scale up its presence in the Arctic amid threats from Moscow and US President Donald Trump.
"We call for the European Union to take on a more strategic and proactive role in the European Arctic," the countries wrote in a joint statement following the European Arctic Summit in Rovaniemi in northern Finland.
The summit was attended by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, among others.
Remain vigilant
Finland, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden all called on the union to commit to strengthening its Arctic engagement "with adequate resources and in line with evolving geopolitical realities."
Speaking to reporters on Monday morning, Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, said the bloc had to remain "vigilant" in the face of increasing Russian military activity in the Arctic, as well as China's growing interest in the region.
Part of the security architecture of Europe
She added that the EU would be revealing a new Arctic strategy in October "that has security at its core."
"It is clear that this is part of the security architecture of Europe," Kallas said.
Step up
The Rovaniemi summit comes after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made a trip to Greenland just before the summit as the EU signalled its continued support for the island amid Trump's repeated calls for the United States to acquire it.
"We agree that the EU needs to step up its action to promote stability, sustainable development and prosperity while safeguarding its interests," they said after a meeting of the countries' leaders in Rovaniemi in northern Finland.
After the Summit, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot travelled straight to Bodø, Northern Norway to for talks with Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide regarding European security, the High North, and the strategic partnership between Norway and France.
More on that to come.
