High North News - News, analysis and debate about politics and business in the North

Nuuk bybilde, telekommunikasjon, boliger

Several Meetings Between Greenland, Denmark and the US This Week

This week, the Danish foreign minister and his Greenlandic counterpart will meet with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as well as the US Vice President in Washington, D.C. In addition, several American senators are traveling to Copenhagen to meet members of the Danish parliament.

Mary Simon, Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik 2022.

Canada To Open Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland

In February, Canada will open a consulate in Greenland. Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Governor General Mary Simon are expected to be in Nuuk for the opening.

Shiwani Dhiman

Sámi Culture and the Reindeer People of Tromsø

"I visited Tromsø in December, right in the heart of Arctic winter."

Notices

POLITICS / 13.01.2026

NATO discussing next steps to ensure Arctic stays safe, says Secretary General

NATO member countries are discussing the next steps to collectively keep…

POLITICS / 13.01.2026

Sweden to invest SEK 5.3 billion to enhance drone and space capabilities

The Swedish Government has decided to invest more than SEK 4 billion in…

POLITICS / 08.01.2026

Joint statement by the Nordic Foreign Ministers on Greenland

On 6 January, a joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of Denmark,…

BUSINESS / 08.01.2026

Growing Asian Interest in Nordic Arctic Expertise

Arctic Partnership Week is Korea's main Arctic forum. The country has…

Russia Downscales Parts of Fisheries Cooperation

Norway and Russia reached a fisheries agreement for 2026 in the annual negotiations late last year. Despite the important agreement, Russia is downscaling parts of the fisheries cooperation.

newnew polar bear container shipping.

South Korea Plans First Arctic Container Ship Test Voyage via Russia’s Northern Sea Route

South Korea is preparing its first-ever container ship voyage through Russia’s Northern Sea Route, testing whether Arctic shipping can reshape Asia–Europe trade and turn the country into a key Arctic shipping hub.

Canada Must Be Wary of Its Southern Neighbor, Say Researchers

Last year, US President Donald Trump's ambitions to expand US territory included Greenland, but also Canada, as 'the 51st state.' The Trump Administration's recent reinforcement of its desire to take over Greenland has clear political implications for Canada's security policy, say researchers Gabriella Gricius and Mathieu Landriault.

High North News Presents: The Arctic Circle Podcast - This Way Up!

Advocating for the Arctic

How does one advocate for one of the most rapidly changing regions on Earth? In this…

The Arctic On Fire

The Arctic isn’t just warming, it’s on fire. From the record-shattering 2023 wildfire…

Anja Salo

The Arctic Council Launches New Podcast: “We Want to Bring the Arctic to the World”

In the following months, High North News will publish the Arctic Council's new…

Welcome to This Way Up

Welcome to This Way Up, the new Arctic Council podcast. In this introductory episode…

Båter, Nuuk

Norway and Greenland Agree on Fisheries Cooperation and Quota Exchange

Commando force training in Norway

British Forces in the North: Will Operate in Northern Norway Year-Round

This year, Norway and the United Kingdom will increase the cooperation between their military forces. In December, the two countries signed an extensive defense agreement that paves the way for greater British presence in the High North.

Boligblokker, Nuuk, Grønland

White House Draws Up Plans to Acquire Greenland as Trump Revives Territorial Ambitions

Donald Trump’s fixation on Greenland has entered a dangerous new phase with the White House actively drawing up acquisition plans, calling it a "national security priority." European allies fear rhetoric is turning into policy.

Berk Vindevogel

Too Close for Comfort: America’s Grip on Nordic Security

"Faced with the Trump Administration today, do we even want the U.S. in the region?" asks Berk Vindvogel, PhD researcher at the Ghent Institute for International and European Studies.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

We’re at the Point Where European Leaders Want to Use Military Muscles to Deter the US

Comment: Greenland's member of the Danish Parliament, Aaja Chemnitz, calls for a European and Nordic military exercise in Greenland as a response to Donald Trump's threats. Diplomatic language is no longer deterring. Our closest ally must be deterred with military power.

Skjermbilde 2026-01-06, Trump Airforce1

Danish Extraordinary Meeting on Relations With the United States

On Tuesday, January 6, the Danish Foreign Affairs Committee was called to an emergency meeting about "the kingdom's relationship with the United States."

Arctic Security Cutter

U.S. Signs Contracts With Foreign and Domestic Builders to Finally Launch Long-Delayed Icebreaker Fleet Overhaul

The United States Coast Guard has signed contracts with Finland’s Rauma Marine Constructions and Louisiana’s Bollinger Shipyards to build six Arctic Security Cutter icebreakers. The first ships could be ready as early as 2028.

Norway Assumes Leadership of NORDEFCO

On January 1st, Norway assumed leadership of the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) after Finland. War in Europe and heightened uncertainty have increased the significance of cooperation. "Europe can not take security for granted," says Norway's Minister of Defense, Tore O. Sandvik.

Alexey-Kosygin-LNG-tanker

Russia Delivers First Domestically Assembled Arc7 LNG Carrier After Years of Sanctions Delays

Russia has completed its first domestically assembled Arc7 LNG carrier after years of sanctions-driven delays, offering a rare boost to Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2 project but underscoring the deep challenges still facing Russia’s shipbuilding ambitions.

2025 Top 10

The Top Ten Stories of 2025

The readers are clear: The flow of Russian gas, Trump's claim to Greenland, and warfare are among the 10 most important stories of 2025.

Kystflåte

Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Agreement for 2026: "Noteworthy," says researcher

Despite the demanding backdrop, Norway and Russia reached a fisheries agreement for 2026 this week. FNI Researcher Geir Hønneland underscores that this year's agreement shows how vital the fisheries agreement is to Russia. The Norwegian Fishermen's Association's leader, Jan Roger Lerbukt, says the agreement continues to further stability.

Shay Gal

The Arctic Moved South: How Turkey Became Russia’s Sanctions Back Office

Debate: The Arctic is still widely framed as geography. Russia treats it as a services chain. When Western sanctions hit that chain in February 2022, Russian flows did not stop - they were displaced.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

Who to Trust? Danish or Norwegian Intelligence?

Comment: We are about to close on a turbulent year, to put it mildly. It might have been the most turbulent any of us can remember. So let us hope that next year offers something different, such as the Arctic remaining a region without armed conflict.