Nordic Summit With Greenland and the Faroe Islands: Reinforcing Preparedness Cooperation

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Throughout last year, Greenland and the Faroe Islands did not receive invitations to several Nordic ministerial meetings, and the countries' leaders had strong reactions to the lack of inclusion.

This feedback has been heard by the five Nordic states, not least in the wake of US President Donald Trump's repeated demands for American control over Greenland.

On Monday, the heads of government from all eight Nordic countries were therefore gathered for the annual summer summit, which took place in Pemar and Åbo, Finland.

"It has been imperative to us to participate in this meeting. We are in a geopolitically tense time and have had excellent discussions today about public security and resilience. These discussions are highly relevant for us in Greenland," says the Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen (D).

Finland and Åland chair the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2025, and the Finnish PM Petteri Orpo says that there is an agreement on the inclusion of all Nordic countries in the region's ministerial meetings in the future as well.

"It is very important that we all work together in these times," he says.   

Joint preparedness focus

At the meeting, the heads of government also agreed on intensifying Nordic cooperation for increased civil preparedness and resilience in the region.

"Together, we advance better local, national, Nordic, and European preparedness through active dialogue and information exchange, by sharing lessons learned, and through cooperation and coordination," they said in a joint statement.

The countries will also establish a network for Nordic security of supply, and include Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Åland in the Nordic Haga cooperation on public security and preparedness, among other initiatives.

They also refer to strengthened efforts in a range of fields, including infrastructure for transportation and energy, space-based services, and health preparedness in the event of severe accidents and crises. Read the entire statement here.

Emphasized support in the face of Trump

The Nordic support for Greenland and the defense of the liberal world order in the face of the Trump administration was also emphasized during the joint press conference of the heads of government.

"The Nordic countries are close, and have joint values such as democracy and respect for international law. In other parts of the world, these values are perceived differently, and we [in Greenland, ed. note] struggle with that. Therefore, I am very glad that we are part of a strong Nordic cooperation. I want to thank for the support from the countries present here, and also the other European countries that have expressed their support for the Greenlandic people," says Nielsen.

"We feel very supported by our Nordic friends and allies. And not only are we pleased with this support, it is also entirely necessary that all who believe in the core principles in the modern international society stand together now," adds Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S).

"The Kingdom of Denmark's sovereignty must be respected, and Greenland's future must be determined in Greenland, nowhere else," she underlines.

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor) also took the opportunity to underscore Norwegian solidarity.

"I want to say the following to Greenland and Denmark: You can be absolutely sure that we stand with you. The Arctic is a regulated region, governed by international law and the law of the sea. We will reiterate this message if questions are asked in Washington, Beijing, or elsewhere," states Støre.

Such clear messages from the Nordics are also of great significance to Iceland, says the country's Prime Minister, Kristrún Frostadóttir (Samfylkingin).

"Iceland is located next to Greenland and is a small country. It is crucial for us that this region expresses a strong message that international law must be respected and that might does not make right, says Frostadóttir.