00:00have sent military personnel for scoping mission to Greenland.
00:05This presence is aimed at keeping the region safe, predictable and stable.
00:11It poses threat to no one.
00:14Because the defense and protection of Greenland is a common concern for Europe and the entire NATO alliance.
00:22Honorable members, current developments are indeed unsettling,
00:27but allow me to still widen the perspective beyond Greenland to the Arctic as a whole.
00:35I want to thank the European Parliament for your active engagement in Arctic affairs,
00:41including for the timely AFET-INI report adopted last November.
00:46Its conclusions echo our own assessment.
00:49The Arctic has become a region of growing geostrategic importance.
00:54Climate change is transforming the Arctic faster than any other place on the planet.
01:01Melting ice is opening new routes and economic opportunities, but also create new risks.
01:07Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has reshaped the European security landscape far beyond Ukraine itself.
01:14The Arctic is not insulated from this.
01:19Russia has disrupted cross-border and regional cooperation in the High North
01:23and intensified hybrid activities while militarizing parts of the region.
01:29The ship that cut the Internet cables in the Baltic Sea in December 2024 escaped through the Russian Arctic quarters.
01:37Geopolitical tension and geo-economical competition in the Arctic require that the European Union,
01:45together with our partners, respond.
01:49Our response must be realistic and principled, and it must be guided by the international law.
01:56No country has the right to take over the territory of another, not in Ukraine, not in Greenland, not anywhere in the world.
02:07We are strengthening preparedness to better anticipate risks, societal resilience by protecting critical infrastructure,
02:20communities and democratic institutions from hybrid threats,
02:24and economic security by safeguarding supply chains and preventing strategic dependencies.
02:30We are currently updating our own EU-Arctic policy to reflect those realities.
02:37Security is not only about military presence.
02:41It's all about trust.
02:43It's about stability.
02:44It's about people.
02:46As we address these new challenges,
02:48we remain guided by the priorities expressed by Greenland authorities themselves,
02:54sustainable development,
02:56sustainable development, social cohesion, and respect for their environment.
03:01Honourable members,
03:03the Arctic is warming three to four times faster than the global average.
03:09Climate change, environmental degradation, and security risks do not stop at borders.
03:15No country can tackle the threat like this alone.
03:19A rules-based international order and effective multilateral cooperation are essential, not optional.
03:28When Europe is united, when we are strong,
03:31we are able to defend our interests and values, including in the high north.
03:37Our Arctic engagement must reflect this reality.
03:41Firm on geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges,
03:45resolute on climate action and centred on the people who live in the region.
03:52In this effort, we stand by Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.
03:57Thank you very much, Madam la haute représentante.
04:02And we will open the discussion now.
04:04I will give the word to Henrik Dahl for the PPU group.
04:12Thank you for the word.
04:13Thank you very much.
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