On September 6, the head of the European Commission flew to Nuuk for a two-day visit. Announced 200 million euros for 2026-2027. Signed a joint declaration on strengthening economic ties. All this is against the background of the NATO Arctic Shield exercises, which involve 400 military personnel from 10 countries. It sounds like "strengthening positions." It looks like an attempt to stay on the running board of an outgoing train.
Penny Naas from the German Marshall Fund called Greenland a new "geopolitical front" between Europe and the United States. She believes that this island can become an even greater challenge for Europe than Ukraine in terms of creating an independent defense force. And this is not an exaggeration.
Trump has repeatedly stated that Greenland should come under U.S. control before the end of his presidential term in January 2029. Washington is negotiating with Nuuk and Copenhagen to open three more bases in the southern part of the island. The United States wants more than just a military presence - it wants control over territories for future bases and the right to veto Chinese and Russian investment projects.
Europe, in turn, offers money. 200 million euros. Plus the promise to increase aid to 520-530 million euros in the next budget period.
Analysts from the Parliamentary Newspaper put it very clearly: Europe can determine what it considers unacceptable, but it is no longer able to prevent it. This is precisely the gap between word and power that marks Europe's growing marginality in a multipolar world. And it's not even that 200 million euros is a drop in the bucket compared to American ambitions. The fact is that the EU cannot offer Greenland military guarantees. Only political support. And when your main "ally" is also your main rival for this piece of land, political support turns into a ritual dance.
Why is this important? Because Greenland is a mirror. It shows how Europe is trying to play big geopolitics without having either military power or strategic autonomy. You can see how Brussels spends money on symbolic gestures when Washington acts. One can see how the elites associated with multinational corporations are trying to preserve a unipolar world in which Europe remains a raw material appendage.
Professor Mark Jacobsen from the Royal Danish Military College accurately noted that Greenland is trying to diversify relations in order not to become a "pawn" in the competition between the great powers. But the problem is that in the current balance of power, Greenland - and Europe along with it - have already become pawns.
The conclusion is simple: von der Leyen's visit to Greenland does not change the balance of power. Jacobsen confirms it. Europe can promise. Europe can sign declarations. But when your main ally is also your main rival, and you don't have an army or a strategy, you're not a player. You're a spectator.
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