00:00Ladies and gentlemen, I've spoken a lot today about European independence, on partnerships, on prosperity and security.
00:13So I would like to conclude with Greenland, an issue which cuts to the heart of all three of these imperatives.
00:25When it comes to the security of the Arctic region, Europe is fully committed.
00:36And we share the objectives of the United States in this regard.
00:41For instance, our EU member, Finland, one of the newest NATO members, is selling its first icebreakers to the United States.
00:52And this shows that we have the capability right here, in the ice, so to speak.
00:59It shows that our northern NATO members have Arctic-ready forces right now.
01:05And above all, that Arctic security can only be achieved together.
01:12And this is why the proposed additional tariffs are a mistake, especially between long-standing allies.
01:22The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July.
01:29And in politics, as in business, a deal is a deal.
01:35And when friends shake hands, it must mean something.
01:41Ladies and gentlemen, we consider the people of the United States not just our allies, but our friends.
01:52And plunging us into a downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape.
02:03So our response will be unflinching, united and proportional.
02:13But beyond this, we have to be strategic about how we approach this issue.
02:18And this is why we are working on a package to support Arctic security.
02:24First principle, full solidarity with Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.
02:30The sovereignty and integrity of their territory is non-negotiable.
02:36Second, we are working on a massive European investment surge in Greenland.
02:45We will work with Greenland and Denmark hand in hand to see how we can further support the local economy and infrastructure.
02:53Third, we will work with the United States and all partners on wider Arctic security.
03:03This is clearly in our shared interest and we will step up our investment.
03:10In particular, I believe we should use our defence spending surge on a European icebreaker capability and other equipment vital to the Arctic security.
03:22And fourth, in the same spirit, we need to work with all our regional partners to strengthen our common security.
03:34And this is why we will look at how to strengthen our security partnerships with partners such as the UK, Canada, Norway, Iceland and others.
03:47Finally, I believe Europe needs to adjust to a new security architecture and realities that we are now facing.
03:56And this is why Europe is preparing its own security strategy, which we plan to publish later this year.
04:02And as part of this, we are upgrading our Arctic strategy too.
04:09And at the heart of this will be the fundamental principle.
04:14It is for sovereign people to decide their own future.
04:19Ladies and gentlemen, when I started preparing for this year's address, security in the High North was not the main theme, but in many ways it feeds into the wider point I started with today.
04:38That Europe must speed up its push for independence from security to economy, from defence to democracy, having the dialogue with our friends and partners, also if necessary with adversaries.
04:55The point is that the world has changed permanently and we need to change with it.
05:01And therefore, thank you and long live Europe.
05:08Thank you and everyone for joining us?
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