European leaders will meet in Hamburg, Germany, on Monday, January 26th to discuss North Sea energy and security cooperation, with additional concerns over Arctic rivalries expected to feature in the talks. The summit comes just days after U.S. president Donald Trump stepped back from his previous threats regarding Greenland and potential tariffs on European NATO allies.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is hosting the summit, emphasizing the need for increased attention to European territories in the High North, who emerged from an extraordinary European Council meeting to declare
This concerns the North above all.
The summit’s official agenda focuses on the expansion of offshore wind energy, development of the hydrogen market, and interconnected offshore infrastructure across national borders.
Leaders from Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Norway—as well as representatives from NATO and the European Commission—are attending. Britain and France are sending ministers to participate.
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen—who recently visited Greenland—is also attending. While the primary focus is energy cooperation, security issues are expected to feature prominently, as the North and Baltic Seas have long been considered sensitive areas.
