Statement by President von der Leyen on Europe's Northern Neighbourhood: A New Strategy for the Arctic

Good afternoon,

We have just adopted our new European Arctic Strategy. It was time to do so. The Arctic is one place where the tectonic plates of geopolitics are colliding. And it is not someone else's frontier. It is part of the European Union. Three of our Member States are Arctic countries, and more than half a million EU citizens live in the Arctic. For Europe, it is also our Northern Neighbourhood: close, connected and very critical to our future. So when we see Russia rebuilding its Arctic military footprint, pursuing hybrid strategies against its neighbours, and reshaping the security of the Arctic: it impacts the European Union as a whole. 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. And, together with like-minded partners, stand up for these values.

Security is not the only trigger. Our strategy is also about the economy. As the Arctic becomes more accessible, it also becomes more central to Europe's economic security: critical raw materials essential to our green and digital transitions, emerging shipping routes that reshape global trade, connectivity infrastructure that will define the region's future. These are opportunities. Our goal is to turn them into prosperity for Arctic communities, while strengthening Europe's economic resilience.

And there is another angle that is important to us: the Arctic belongs to the people of the Arctic. To the families, communities, Indigenous Peoples and young people who want to build their future in the Arctic. It is their home. This is why we keep them at the very centre of our approach. Their home is massively affected by climate change. The Arctic is warming nearly four time faster than the global average. As a global climate regulator, the Arctic shapes weather patterns, biodiversity and sea level rise worldwide. For Europe, the consequences are direct. Arctic warming is driving more extreme and persistent weather patterns across our continent. And it changes our ecosystems, agriculture and water systems. This is why our strategy maintains a strong emphasis on protecting the Arctic environment and advancing the clean transition.

Finally, and importantly, our strategy is about our partnership with key Arctic allies, such as Canada, and our many like-minded partners. We want to work with them more closely. On a peaceful, stable and resilient Arctic. On a prosperous and economically secure Arctic. Basically, on an Arctic that delivers for its people.

Thank you very much.