The European Union has unveiled a plan to boost its presence in the Arctic BRUSSELS -- The European Union laid out a plan on Tuesday to increase its footprint in the Arctic as global warming, conflict and competition for energy resources and critical minerals pose fresh challenges. The EU move comes after threats from U.S. 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 colors 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 buildup is also heightening security concerns. The EU wants to help set up a cable center 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 European Commission 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.
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