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TechQuiet 5d · day 11

EU unveils Pan-Arctic Cable plan linking Greenland to Europe, bypassing the US

A new European Commission Arctic strategy names a Greenland-to-EU subsea cable, eventually reaching Canada and Asia, as a flagship project amid frayed US ties.

newest coverage 4d agosummary written 10d ago16 pieces163 likes & upvotes8 comments MastodonNewswiresGoogle NewsRedditBlueskyHacker News

What to know

  • The European Commission's October 20, 2026 Arctic strategy names the Pan-Arctic Cable, a direct Greenland-EU subsea link, as a flagship project with $119 million already invested.
  • The cable could eventually extend via Canada to Japan and South Korea, deliberately bypassing the United States, amid strained US-Europe-Canada relations.
  • The project follows a September 2026 trilateral US-Greenland-Denmark security deal that settled Trump administration attempts to claim Greenland.
  • Europe is also seeking alternatives to Red Sea cable routes to Asia, which carry over 90% of Europe-Asia traffic and face risks from Houthi attacks.

Elisabeth Braw Senior fellow, Atlantic CouncilEuropean CommissionEuropean Commission EU executive bodyDonald TrumpDonald Trump US PresidentGreenland Autonomous Danish territory

EU unveils Pan-Arctic Cable plan linking Greenland to Europe, bypassing the US
arstechnica.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 6 pieces in 3h at Oct 28, 5 PM; 16 pieces over 11 days (4 articles · 12 posts) Oct 28, 5 PM — 6 pieces · 4 articles · 2 posts — Mastodon 3, Google News 2, Newswires 1Oct 28, 8 PM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Bluesky 1, Reddit 1Oct 28, 11 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Oct 29, 2 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Oct 29, 5 AM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Mastodon 1, Bluesky 1Oct 29, 8 AM — quietOct 29, 11 AM — 2 pieces · 2 posts — Mastodon 1, Bluesky 1Oct 29, 2 PM — quietOct 29, 5 PM — quietOct 29, 8 PM — quietOct 29, 11 PM — quietOct 30, 2 AM — quietOct 30, 5 AM — quietOct 30, 8 AM — quietOct 30, 11 AM — quietOct 30, 2 PM — quietOct 30, 5 PM — quietOct 30, 8 PM — quietOct 30, 11 PM — quietOct 31, 2 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Bluesky 1Oct 31, 5 AM — quietOct 31, 8 AM — quietOct 31, 11 AM — quietOct 31, 2 PM — quietOct 31, 5 PM — quietOct 31, 8 PM — quietOct 31, 11 PM — quietNov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 4 AM — quietNov 1, 7 AM — quietNov 1, 10 AM — quietNov 1, 1 PM — quietNov 1, 4 PM — quietNov 1, 7 PM — quietNov 1, 10 PM — quietNov 2, 1 AM — quietNov 2, 4 AM — quietNov 2, 7 AM — quietNov 2, 10 AM — quietNov 2, 1 PM — quietNov 2, 4 PM — quietNov 2, 7 PM — quietNov 2, 10 PM — quietNov 3, 1 AM — quietNov 3, 4 AM — quietNov 3, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Nov 3, 10 AM — quietNov 3, 1 PM — quietNov 3, 4 PM — quietNov 3, 7 PM — quietNov 3, 10 PM — quietNov 4, 1 AM — quietNov 4, 4 AM — quietNov 4, 7 AM — quietNov 4, 10 AM — quietNov 4, 1 PM — quietNov 4, 4 PM — quietNov 4, 7 PM — quietNov 4, 10 PM — quietNov 5, 1 AM — quietNov 5, 4 AM — quietNov 5, 7 AM — quietNov 5, 10 AM — quietNov 5, 1 PM — quietNov 5, 4 PM — quietNov 5, 7 PM — quietNov 5, 10 PM — quietNov 6, 1 AM — quietNov 6, 4 AM — quietNov 6, 7 AM — quietNov 6, 10 AM — quietNov 6, 1 PM — quietNov 6, 4 PM — quietNov 6, 7 PM — quietNov 6, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quietToday, 4 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quiet 1–2
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  1. 2

    Social posts frame cable as sign of fraying US alliances

    Posts sharing the Ars Technica report characterized the project as part of broader alliance strain, with one summarizing it as completely bypassing the US.

    “Frayed Alliances: Lastest underwater cables connects EU/Greenland/Canada/Japan/South Korea - completely bypassing the US.”
    — riptide360.bsky.social
    • riptide360.bsky.social

      Frayed Alliances: Lastest underwater cables connects EU/Greenland/Canada/Japan/South Korea - completely bypassing the US.

      riptide360.bsky.socialBluesky10d ago14▲view on Bluesky ↗
    2 more of the top 3 · 5 posts in this stretch
    • andrewducker@mastodon.scot

      Link Post: As US ties fray, Europe plans first undersea cable link to Greenland (and then on to Canada!) https:// arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/1 0/as-us-ties-fray-europe-plans-first-undersea-cable-link-to-greenland/

      andrewducker@mastodon.scotMastodon10d ago6▲view on Mastodon ↗
    • uesnonema.bsky.social

      https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/10/as-us-ties-fray-europe-plans-first-undersea-cable-link-to-greenland/

      uesnonema.bsky.socialBluesky8d ago9▲view on Bluesky ↗
    all of them →
  2. 1

    Ars Technica details the plan and its geopolitical context

    Ars Technica reported that the cable would notably bypass the United States and could eventually extend to Japan and South Korea, citing strained US-Europe-Canada relations over trade wars and Trump's Ukraine stance, plus Red Sea cable risks from Houthi attacks.

    “It is interesting that this project is even being considered, because five years ago it would have seemed like not a particularly commercially attractive proposition.”
    — Elisabeth Braw
  3. background

    European Commission names cable a flagship Arctic project — A European Commission joint communication on Arctic strategy described support for a sovereign submarine cable linking Greenland directly to the EU, with $119 million already invested via the Connecting Europe Facility Digital program, and floated Canada as a stepping stone toward Asia.

  4. background

    US, Greenland and Denmark sign trilateral security deal — A trilateral security agreement settled repeated Trump administration attempts to claim Greenland, preserving its autonomous status within Denmark while expanding US military access.

  5. background

    European firms and Greenland telecom sign cable agreement — European companies and research organizations joined with a Greenland telecom operator to sign an agreement on developing the Pan-Arctic Cable project.

  6. background

    Earlier Russia-route Arctic cable project halts — The Arctic Connect subsea cable project, which aimed to connect Europe and Asia via Russia's Northern Sea Route, was halted before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets As US ties fray, Europe plans first undersea cable link to Greenland

    first by Mastodon, 10d ago · also Ars Technica

    1 more headline

What people are saying 1 voices from 1 site · best of 5 · verbatim