Rovaniemi. Germany and other leading EU states are taking up the fight for influence in the Arctic and want to stand up to Russia, China and the USA. At a summit in the northern Finnish city of Rovaniemi in the Arctic Circle, Chancellor Friedrich Merz and top representatives from eleven other countries committed to expanding their commitment through the EU and providing the appropriate resources for this.
The times of little attention for the Arctic are over, said Merz after the discussions ended. The Far North is now the most critical area for the security of the European continent.
The joint statement from all summit participants said they agreed that the EU needed to act more strategically and proactively in the European Arctic. Specifically, the signatories want to improve monitoring and the exchange of information and create a common situation picture.
At the same time, it is being advocated to increase investments in transport routes, digital networks, military mobility and other infrastructure - also with a view to hybrid threats and the protection of critical facilities on land and at sea. Economically, the countries see opportunities primarily in critical raw materials, but also in tourism and new shipping routes created by the climate-related decline in Arctic sea ice.
The background to the move is increased great power competition, the consequences of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, China's increased interest in security policy and the accelerating and serious effects of climate change. “The Arctic is undergoing rapid and profound change, which is increasingly having an impact on the security and stability of Europe,” says the final declaration.
Geographically, the northern parts of the EU countries Finland and Sweden are located in the Arctic region. Greenland is also extremely relevant for the EU. The huge Arctic island is not part of the EU, but belongs to the Kingdom of Denmark.
US President Donald Trump's controversial claims for control over the resource-rich territory are not explicitly mentioned in the statement. However, the signatories welcome an investment package worth 200 million euros recently announced by the EU Commission. Among other things, it will be used for the infrastructure that is necessary to mine valuable raw materials.
In order to resolve the conflict with Washington and discuss future cooperation, Denmark, Greenland and the USA initiated trilateral talks in the form of a working group. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed her confidence at the Arctic Summit: "I am optimistic that we can find a solution. We are already seeing very clear signals."
In addition to Denmark and Greenland, Norway and Svalbard as well as Russia, the USA and Canada are also counted among the Arctic polar states. The EU states also want to seek even closer cooperation on the Arctic with these countries as well as with Iceland and Great Britain, it was said at the summit.
The EU Commission wants to use the results of the summit to develop the planned new Arctic strategy. Finland in particular wants to ensure that European icebreaking capabilities are included as a concrete project. The Finns see icebreakers as the key to Europe's ability to act in the Far North: without them, supplies, trade and military presence in large parts of the region cannot be reliably secured despite dwindling sea ice.
In Rovaniemi, Finland's head of government emphasized his country's expertise in this area: "We can build these icebreakers - we have a lot of specialist knowledge," said Petteri Orpo. “But we have to take it step by step.” He received support from Chancellor Friedrich Merz and EU Foreign Affairs Representative Kaja Kallas. Merz said: “We definitely need icebreakers.” This is not just a concern of the Nordic countries, but of the entire EU and all of Europe.
The statement names Russia as the greatest threat - particularly because of Moscow's hostile attitude towards Europe and the increase in hybrid activities. This refers to a combination of military, economic, secret service and propaganda means.
An example of threats is the activities of Russian submarines in the Far North disclosed by Norway and Great Britain in the spring. According to information from NATO circles, it is now certain that the boats near Spitsbergen tested a new technology for sabotage of submarine cables largely without leaving a trace.
