European leaders gathered in Rovaniemi, Finland, on Monday to plan a path forward for the bloc's presence in the Arctic.

The talks focused on emerging shipping lanes, raw mineral deposits and security threats from the US, China and Russia.

They come as Arctic ice melts and northern waters become easier to navigate, and in the wake of US President Donald Trump's calls for the US to take control of Greenland which put severe strain on the NATO alliance.

Call for a 'more strategic and proactive' EU role in Arctic

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and 11 other EU leaders issued a joint statement amid Monday's meeting well to the north of Helsinki headed towards the Arctic coastline. 

"We agree that the EU needs to step up its action to promote stability, sustainable development and prosperity while safeguarding its interests," the statement said. 

"We call for the European Union to take on a more strategic and proactive role in the European Arctic," the declaration urged. 

Besides Merz and Germany, the leaders of Finland, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden backed the statement.

They called for improved monitoring and information-sharing, increasing investment in transport links, digital networks military mobility and other infrastrure. 

The statement also emphasized addressing hybrid threats and protecting critical infrastructure on land and sea. 

Senior EU officials Kaja Kallas and Antonio Costa also attended the session. 

NATO drills highlight Iceland's role in Arctic defense

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EU using meeting to shape its new Arctic strategy

No formal decisions were expected on Monday, but the European Commission said the talks would help shape its new Arctic strategy, which will be unveiled over the next few weeks.

National leaders can still have a say impacting the final document, "so in that sense this is quite a timely meeting," said Tuomas Tikkanen — Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's senior adviser on European affairs.

The bloc's last strategy paper was released in 2021.

"The idea is essentially to strengthen the EU's common strategic approach to the Arctic in this situation, where the geopolitical and economic significance of the region is growing considerably,"

Orpo, who initiated the summit, has emphasized that the Arctic is an, "increasingly important part of Europe's security environment."  

The Arctic, which is warming nearly four times faster than other regions, has seen increased activity as receding ice opens potential transport routes as well as access to mineral resources.

The EU's foreign policy chief Kallas echoed sentiments of host Finland's government, saying that Brussels needed icebreaker vessels to boost its Arctic presence. 

Kallas said that given "the situation we are in, and considering also climate change and the opening of maritime routes, we need icebreakers or ships that are able to navigate" in still-difficult conditions in the polar region.

The changing environment has spurred the US, China and Russia to increase energy, resource and military activity.

In August, China and South Korea both sent container ships through the region, testing the viability of the North Sea Route in Russian territorial waters.

Russia's Arctic buildup is Iceland's security headache

As Arctic ice melts, desire for control of the Arctic has heated up 

Although Canada, China, Russia and Scandinavian countries are all considered Arctic nations, the most concerning development of late for the EU and member state Denmark have come from an entirely unexpected corner — the United States.

US President Donald Trump has put severe strain on the NATO military alliance through his insistence that "the US must have Greenland" — a semi-autonomous island nation that is officially Danish territory — citing national security concerns.

Trump previously argued that Denmark cannot protect Greenland, which is not part of the EU, from China and Russia. 

The US, Denmark and Greenland have set up a working group to discuss how to proceed, with Danish Prime Minsiter Mette Frederiksen expressing hope for the process on Monday. 

"This working group is still working and therefore it's too early to draw any conclusions but I'm quite optimistic that we can find a way," she told reporters. 

The US wants to increase its military presence on Greenland, something past treaties enable it to do, after decades of reducing its military footprint there since the end of the Cold War.

NATO has also launched a new security mission in the region in recent months.

Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on a visit to Greenland, announced closer cooperation and an investment package of €200 million ($231 million) to be used in part to set up infrastructure to extract valuable raw materials.

During her visit, von der Leyen said that the EU would "be more engaged in Greenland and in the Arctic," saying the package would "create new opportunities and a strong and engaged EU in both Greenland and the Arctic."

Why the US and Europe are battling for Greenland's future

Edited by: Natalie Muller

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