Von der Leyen plans Greenland trip as talks continue on island's fate

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to visit Greenland in the coming weeks, a spokeswoman said on Thursday, after a dispute with US President Donald Trump over the Arctic island sparked fears of a NATO conflict.

The commission head is planning a trip to the Arctic region, including Greenland, in March, the spokeswoman said, without giving further details.

The dispute over Greenland escalated in January when Trump repeatedly threatened to annex the Danish-administered territory, claiming only the United States could protect it from perceived Russian and Chinese threats in the region.

Trump eventually withdrew his threats to use military force to take control of the island, and his punitive tariffs on European NATO countries over their support for Greenland and NATO ally Denmark.

NATO has since increased its military presence in the Arctic, as Denmark, the US and Greenland hold talks on the island's future.