The European Union announced plans to strengthen its presence in the Arctic as rising temperatures, geopolitical tensions, and competition for energy resources and critical minerals reshape the region, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The bloc's Arctic members — Denmark, Finland and Sweden — give it a direct stake in a region where post-Cold War cooperation frameworks have been strained since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The move comes amid President Donald Trump's repeated threats to take control of Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark, and growing unease in Iceland after Trump posted a map depicting both islands in the colors of the American flag. Trump's interest in Greenland dates to his first term, when his push to acquire the island prompted him to cancel a state visit to Denmark in 2019; the territory sits along the shortest flight path between North America and Europe and hosts Pituffik Space Base, the northernmost installation in the U.S. military.

The Arctic is warming much faster than the rest of the planet, and new challenges are emerging as a result: new shipping routes are opening up, Chinese trade through the region is increasing, and a Russian military buildup is heightening security concerns. U.S. Geological Survey assessments have long estimated that the region holds sizable shares of the world's undiscovered oil and natural gas, raising the stakes of the region's emerging resource competition.

"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 and change our strategic posture," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

In response, the EU intends to help establish a cable center to support undersea communication efforts in the North Atlantic and the Arctic. Russian submarines are suspected of preparing to sabotage critical underwater infrastructure in the region, and the EU plans to deploy funding for cameras, sensors, and satellites to monitor the area and detect potential threats. European vigilance over subsea assets has grown since the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline ruptures in the Baltic Sea and subsequent damage to undersea cables in the region.

At the same time, the European Commission plans to support the development of a "sovereign, secure and resilient submarine cable" that would directly connect Greenland to the EU, according to a new strategy document. The cable monitoring system would form part of a larger security hub. For Greenland, long tied economically to Copenhagen, the proposal would open a new infrastructure link to Brussels — though the strategy document sets out intentions rather than completed projects.

The announcements follow a September security agreement between the United States and Denmark concerning Greenland, reached in an effort to ease tensions sparked by Trump's threats to seize the territory. Trump announced the deal on Truth Social, claiming Denmark would grant the U.S. "permanent control over security, and all other needs" in Greenland, including the establishment of a "large military presence" on the Arctic island.

Danish and Greenlandic leaders voiced support for strengthening security in the region while emphasizing the importance of respecting Denmark's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination. The agreement was formalized by Trump, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen — a development some view as a pivotal moment in negotiations over Arctic security and Greenland's strategic future.

Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly dismissed the science behind global warming despite the Arctic's rapidly changing temperatures. He has called climate change "the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world," arguing that predictions by the United Nations and other organizations have been inaccurate. He has also criticized climate initiatives as a "green scam," warning that countries embracing them risk economic failure, PBS reports.