Politics Pentagon’s Upcoming New Arctic Strategy: "We Talk To Norway, Finland, and Sweden a Lot" Washington D.C. (High North News): The US DoD's new Arctic strategy is right around the corner. It has been developed in close dialogue with allies – not least the Northern Nordics, says Deputy Assistant Secretary Iris Ferguson. She expresses admiration for Norway's 'double strategy' on balancing deterrence and reassurance in the North.
Arne O. Holm says Should People Be Living on Svalbard? Commentary: A parliament white paper is often followed by political measures. On Svalbard, things are different. Here, the political decisions come first, and the discussions follow. Should people really be living in Svalbard?
Newsletter The Arctic Prime Example Newsletter: Should people live on Svalbard? The Norwgian island seems to be posed as Norway's prime example for the world. We also report about sanctions against Russia and the Norwegian fisheries quota policy and infrastructure
Science / 03.05.2024 Get Ready For The Arctic Congress 2024 in Bodø, Norway! The Arctic Congress Bodø 2024 is aunique event that combines the…
Life in the Arctic / 30.04.2024 Canadian City to build 75-Metre Protective Land Slide Wall The City of Whitehorse in the Canadian north is building a 75-metre…
Politics / 30.04.2024 Alaska Supreme Court Grants Legal Protection to Tribal Consortium The Alaska Supreme Court on Friday extended tribal sovereign immunity to a…
Politics / 30.04.2024 Eleven Candidates Confirmed in Iceland Presidential Race The National Electoral Commission in Iceland ruled that two of the…
Science Svalbard Researcher: “Longyearbyen Is Meant to Be the Prime Example of Renewable Solutions in the Arctic” Great uncertainty surrounds the energy supply on Svalbard and the scheduled transition to renewable energy for the Arctic archipelago. Researcher Tiril Vold believes the process has been affected by a contest over symbolic capital and prestige.
Business New U.S. Sanctions Target Arctic LNG 2 Blocking Red Box Shipping Company With its latest round of sanctions the U.S. goes after Singaporean shipping operator Red Box. A notorious violator of Western sanctions the company continued delivering modules for natual liquefied gas from China to Russia throughout 2023 and into 2024. The new measures also target vessels working for Rosneft’s Vostok Oil project.
Politics Nordic Cooperation: Joint Infrastructure Strategy To Support Military Mobility During a joint visit to the NATO exercise Immediate Response in Northern Norway, the ministers of transport in Norway, Sweden, and Finland agreed to strengthen cooperation on border-crossing transport corridors to better ensure military needs.
Arne O. Holm says Should People Be Living on Svalbard? Commentary: A parliament white paper is often followed by political measures. On…
Debate Uniting For Women's Right to Bodily Autonomy: It is About Decolonization "The IUD cases, and the cases concerning other forms of contraception, as well as the…
Op-ed Gender Equality is Back on the Arctic Agenda - This Time For Good? Debate: "This week gender equality has gained visibility as an explicit part of…
Opinions Boundaries of the Ego vs Rational Boundaries in the Barents Sea Researcher Eda Ayaydin highlights three critical fractions in the interactions…
Arne O. Holm says From Florida to Finnmark, From the Courtroom to the White House Commentary: In the daytime, he hangs around in American courtrooms. In his free time…
Politics “Practicing Norway’s Role as a Transit Country Is an Historic Development” Narvik (High North News): The exercise Immediate Response has commenced. Tons of US military equipment arrived in Narvik, Northern Norway, last week and is to be transported into the Nordic region for further military training. Now, Norway's role as a transit country is being practiced in light of NATO's Nordic expansion, says Colonel May Brith Valen-Odlo.
Politics EC Expected To Propose Partial Ban of Russian LNG as Kremlin Issues Strong Rebuke Following recent calls by Swedish and German officials to move toward restricting the inflow of Russian liquefied natural gas the European Commission has now taken up the issue. In discussions with member states the EU is suggesting a ban on transshipments.
Arne O. Holm says From Florida to Finnmark, From the Courtroom to the White House Commentary: In the daytime, he hangs around in American courtrooms. In his free time, he sells jewelry, shoes, and Bibles to finance fines and lawyers. In about six months, Donald Trump is let loose on the rest of the world.
EC Expected To Propose Partial Ban of Russian LNG as Kremlin Issues Strong Rebuke Apr 29 2024 - 14:05
Pentagon’s Upcoming New Arctic Strategy: "We Talk To Norway, Finland, and Sweden a Lot" May 02 2024 - 15:54
Svalbard Researcher: “Longyearbyen Is Meant to Be the Prime Example of Renewable Solutions in the Arctic” May 02 2024 - 15:24
Politics "Sweden Must Take Responsibility for Its Own Security" Bodø (High North News): Major Johan Hellström is clear that Sweden must build up its total defense and prepare for a NATO without the US.
Newsletter NATO's March Into the North Dear reader. This week, several tonnes of American military materials arrived in Narvik and will roll over the border from Norway into the new NATO countries. The US will soon present its new Arctic strategy, and a Swedish major asks the Nordics to build their own preparedness without NATO. We also have news about sanctions and life in the North.
Politics Germany Supports Swedish Push for EU Ban of Russian LNG Just days after Swedish calls to sanction imports of Russian liquefied natural gas, German government officials confirmed their support for an EU-wide ban. The measures could be included in the upcoming 14th sanctions package, but could face resistance from Spain, Belgium and France.
Politics Russia Reduces LNG Forecasts As Western Sanctions Delay Arctic Projects The latest Russian forecasts for liquefied natural gas suggest that officials do not expect Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project to reach full capacity before 2026, even in the most optimistic scenario. In two more conservative scenarios the Ministry of the Economy does not expect Train 2 of Arctic LNG 2 to begin production before 2028.
Politics Norwegian MoD Stresses Importance of Enough People in Northern Norway Bodø (High North News): The Norwegian government wants to strengthen defense in the far north and establish the Finnmark Brigade. According to the MoD, securing settlement in this region is high on the agenda. "If things get really serious, we are dependent on civilian society and the function of total defense," he says.
Politics Sweden Calls for Ban of Russian LNG Ahead of EU Meeting The EU continues to inch toward a comprehensive ban of Russian liquefied natural gas. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom confirmed the need to include LNG in the upcoming 14th sanctions package against Russia.
Politics The Norwegian Government Agrees With Opposing Parties On New Fisheries Policy The Norwegian government parties have agreed with the opposing parties on the quota white paper. "The Labor and Center Party are throwing away a historic opportunity to bring the fish back to the people and create workplaces in coastal fisheries and fish processing in the land industry," says Red Party fishery policy spokesperson Geir Jørgensen.
Arne O. Holm says The Arctic Arms Race Extends Beyond Military Power Commentary: The proposal of an extensive rearmament of the Navy in the North is not just about military capacity. It is just as much about the security policy approach to Russia and who will keep their hands on the wheel in the Arctic.
Arctic living Life on the Arctic Coast: The Sea Route to Kindergarten Helligvær (High North News): Out in the middle of the sea in Northern Norway, we find Løvetanna kindergarten with its three employees and six children, two of whom have an unusual route to kindergarten.
Politics Practicing Norway’s Role as a Transit Country for Allied Forces Going to Sweden and Finland This week, a US ship with military personnel will arrive in Narvik, Northern Norway, in connection with the military exercise Immediate Response 2024. Several hundred American vehicles and containers will be unloaded in the Port of Narvik to be further transported via Sweden to an exercise in Finland.
Politics Norway’s Navy Chief: ‘High North, Low Tension’ Depends on Our Own Capability At Sea Norway’s government recently launched major investments in the country's naval forces. This will increase important Norwegian presence in the North vis-á-vis Russia, maintains Navy Chief Oliver Berdal. “We must be able to safeguard our maritime interests on an independent basis,” he says.