European Union updates its Arctic Policy

The European Commission says it has put forward a new strategy for the Arctic - a new framework of cooperation with like-minded northern neighbours[2]. The Commission also says the strategy responds to the major geopolitical, security and environmental changes[3] since its 2021 policy.According to Al Jazeera, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russia is expanding its military footprint in the high north, citing drone incursions, GPS jamming and cable sabotage[1].The Commission states that the EU will also support secure, resilient submarine cable connectivity through the Pan-Arctic Cable, linking Greenland directly to Europe[4]. Al Jazeera reports that it is part of a wider plan that would also connect Canada, Japan and South Korea.[1]France 24, citing an AFP-seen draft, reports that the United States is named only a handful of times in the 20-page paper, compared with almost two dozen mentions for Canada.[5] France 24 also reports that some of the initiatives listed in the strategy seemingly aim to cut dependencies on Washington.[5]Euronews reports that the strategy mentions creating an Arctic Cable Hub for EU countries, Norway and Iceland[6]. Euronews adds that the strategy does not set a final route, budget or construction schedule for the proposed network.[6]According to Al Jazeera, the Commission reiterated the EU's position remains that oil, coal and gas should stay in the ground, including in the Arctic.[1]EU Commissioner Jozef Síkela told AFP that "the new reality in the Arctic requires Europe to be a strong and reliable partner."[7]