On Tuesday 3 February, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, said that while “for quite some time, the Arctic has been the region of low tension and high cooperation”, the region was now “the front line of the global power competition”.
At a press conference on the margins of the Arctic Frontiers Conference in Norway, Ms Kallas pointed out that the security context had changed since the start of the war in Ukraine, since China is gradually extending its influence, since the United States has assertive claims over Greenland and since hybrid threats have grown “in intensity and frequency”.
“This goes together with Russia’s enduring military buildup in the high north. In response, European allies are stepping up on Arctic security, and the European Union is ready to do its part”, she explained to the media.
Pointing out that security is not just about defence, “it is all about resilient societies, it is trusted institutions, it is secure infrastructure and sustainable livelihoods”, Ms Kallas said that the EU “contributes greatly”, including through its financial support, scientific cooperation and research tools.
The High Representative announced that, in collaboration with the Member States, the EU was updating its ‘EU Arctic Strategy’. “This will reflect the changed security landscape and have Greenland as a core pillar”, she announced, adding that to guarantee the security of the region, partnerships, particularly with Norway, Iceland and Canada, were essential. The ‘EU Arctic Strategy’ dates from October 2021 (see EUROPE 12811/15).
“We are convinced that it is essential to strengthen our commitment to security and predictability in the Arctic. It also seems crucial to us to channel this renewed interest in Arctic security into concrete action, in line with the real issues at stake”, emphasised Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Espen Barth Eide.
He pointed out that at a time when the focus is on geopolitics, the region’s number one challenge is the fight against global warming. “The Arctic is an exceptional laboratory for understanding the extent and seriousness of these changes, because global warming is occurring faster there than anywhere else on the planet”, he stressed.
The High Representative also announced that the security and defence partnership agreement between the EU and Iceland, announced in July 2025, was “on the verge of being signed”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)