Newsletter In a Squeeze Between Great Powers
On Thursday, Commentator Arne O. Holm will be at the annual Svalbard Seminar in Longyearbyen. (Foto: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen)
Dear reader. The pressure on Greenland is increasing, and the small island community in Svalbard is also beginning to feel the gravity of the situation. Here is the latest news from the High North.
Donald Trump's threats against Greenland are putting pressure on NATO and pushing European countries closer together.
This year, Norway and the United Kingdom will increase the cooperation between their military forces. The British Minister of Foreign Affairs is currently traveling in Finland and Northern Norway to strengthen ties with the Nordic region.
Greenland
Both Denmark and Greenland have grown tired of Trump's aggressive statements, with seemingly no end in sight. 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.
The Trump Administration's recent reinforcement of its desire to take over Greenland has clear political implications for Canada's security policy, say researchers to HNN.
Because of Trump, both France and Canada are opening consulates in Greenland in February.
And Norway and Greenland have reached a quota agreement for 2026.
United in the North
Northern Norway has also been united, believes Commentator Arne O. Holm, rejecting claims of division.
"Northern Norway has hardly agreed more with itself than now," he writes in the comment. (Norwegian only)
On Thursday, Holm will be present at the annual Svalbard Seminar in Longyearbyen, where he will lecture on the great powers' battle for the Arctic and its implications for Svalbard. (Norwegian only)
Russia
News from and about the Russian Arctic has taken a backseat to Greenland. But there is still a lot of activity.
For example, regarding the Norwegian-Russian fisheries agreement. Despite the new agreement, Russia is downscaling parts of the fisheries cooperation.
We can also report that Sweden and Finland are pushing the EU to toughen sanctions on Russian Arctic shipping, calling for bans on insurance and port repairs for vessels carrying oil, gas, and coal.
In the midst of all this, South Korea is preparing its first-ever container ship voyage through Russia’s Northern Sea Route.
Read about all this and more at High North News. Follow us for Holm's updates from Svalbard, news about the defense of the North, the pressure on NATO, and, not least, Greenland.
Best,
Editor-in-Chief Trine Jonassen