EU revises Arctic strategy as pressure from Russia, US grows

According to Reuters, the European Union on Tuesday presented a new Arctic strategy reflecting the region's importance to security, with pledges to boost satellite surveillance, increase monitoring of undersea cables and help EU members buy icebreakers.[1]Von der Leyen told reporters in Strasbourg that "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,"[1] Reuters reports.France 24 reports that US President Donald Trump's repeated threats to bring Greenland – a vast, autonomous Danish territory – under US control have rattled Europe.[2] The outlet says the United States is named only a handful of times in the 20-page paper, compared with almost two dozen mentions for Canada.[2]According to the European Commission, the EU will also support secure, resilient submarine cable connectivity through the Pan-Arctic Cable, linking Greenland directly to Europe.[3] Euronews reports that the network could be extended through Canada to Japan and South Korea[4]. It adds that the strategy does not set a final route, budget or construction schedule[4].France 24, citing a draft seen by AFP, reports that the strategy envisages a regular summit of "Northern Neighbourhood" partners.[2]Jozef Sikela, the EU's head of international partnerships, told France 24 that "the new reality in the Arctic requires Europe to be a strong and reliable partner."[2]Reuters reports that the document did not put a price tag on its plans[1] and is the first update to the EU's Arctic strategy since 2021[1].