Russian aircrafts operating off of Alaska

"Norway and Canada have a close relationship and have much in common. In a time of increasing geopolitical unrest, it is important to strengthen trade policy cooperation. Canada offers good opportunities for Norwegian companies, and Norway is also an attractive country for Canadian investments. Closer trade cooperation will be good for both countries," says the Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth in a press release.

Norway and the three other EFTA countries, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, have a trade agreement with Canada. The agreement dates from 2008 and mainly covers trade in industrial goods, fish and seafood.

"Norway believes it is time to modernize and update the free trade agreement between the EFTA countries and Canada. We believe the agreement should be expanded to also apply to trade in services, business establishment and public procurement, among other things. It is positive that the EFTA countries and Canada are planning a meeting during the first half of 2026 for further negotiations on this," says Myrseth.

The Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand, said NATO must turn its focus to the North at a major defence and security conference in Ottawa on Wednesday.

This was reported by CBC.

"Last August, I raised the point about ensuring that NATO has efforts that are geared towards Arctic security and protection, and my foreign minister colleagues around that table, the Nordic Five, agreed with me wholeheartedly," she said.

The Nordic Five includes Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden.

Anand said Canada wants a NATO Arctic strategy that is more comprehensive than the Arctic Sentry mission launched earlier this year, and that includes a permanent presence in the region.

She said she planned to discuss the topic with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte later in the day.

On Monday, Greenland and Canada signed a letter of intent on the strengthened cooperation on critical minerals and energy.

The agreement has strategic and economic significance for both parties, writes Greenland's government, Naalakkersuisut.

"The cooperation will lead to a better understanding of our natural resources and increased economic activity. Lately, Greenland has been the subject of international attention. This agreement cements the importance of strong alliances and partnerships," says Naaja Nathanielsen (IA), Greenland's Naalakkersuisoq (minister) of Industry, Raw Materials, Mining, Energy, Law Enforcement and Equality.

On Wednesday, a delegation from the Canadian parliament, led by Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia, visited Norway.

This was reported by the Norwegian parliament, which is hosting the visit.

The Canadian delegation's agenda includes a number of political meetings, such as with the parliament president (speaker), as well as members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence and the delegation for Arctic parliamentarian cooperation.

"Canada and Norway share democratic values, have historical ties and are close allies. Our relationship becomes increasingly important in these uncertain times. As Arctic coastal states, we see the need for closer cooperation in the North," says the Norwegian parliament president Masud Gharahkhani (Labor).

The US hospital ship USNS Mercy has left the shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. On Wednesday morning, the tracking service MarineTraffic showed that the ship is in the Gulf of Mexico.

This happened shortly after Donald Trump stated that a hospital ship was heading to Greenland.

However, it is not known where the ship is going, but MarineTraffic states Mobile as its destination.

According to the shipping media outlet Maritime Executive, the ship is on its way to Portland, Oregon, and will take at least 20 days to transit the Panama Canal and up the west coast of the United States. They further state that the ship will undergo repairs in Oregon in March.

According to Danish TV2, this is the first time the vessel has left port since August 3rd last year.

Alaska experienced its eighth warmest year on record in 2025, Alaska Public Media reports.

A new research report finds that warming was particularly pronounced in the northern part of the state. Utqiaġvik had the highest temperature anomalies, about 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit above normal.

The report points to shrinking sea ice as a key finding. Alaska's sea ice reached its annual maximum in March at just over 5.5 million square miles - the lowest ice maximum recorded in 47 years.

"It's still a large area, but less than in any year previously observed. We are on track to an ice-free Arctic later this century," researcher Falk Stuefer told the newspaper.

According to a new survey, a majority of Icelanders describe the US as an adversary and not an ally, writes RÙV.

40% of respondents say they would describe the country as an adversary, 32% as an ally and 28% take no position or do not want to answer.

The younger people are, the more likely they are to regard the USA as an adversary. People living in the capital area are also more likely to see the USA this way than those in rural areas. Lower-income groups are slightly more likely than higher-income groups to regard the United States as an adversary, while higher earners are more likely to regard it as an ally.

Canada and Denmark have signed a defense cooperation agreement on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

That is reported by CBC News.

The agreement follows the Trump Administration's threats to take over Canada and was signed by Canadian Defense Minister David McGuinty and Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, together with his Greenlandic and Faroese counterparts, Vivian Motzfeldt and Sirið Stenberg.

"Canada is an Arctic nation — and we will defend the North," McGuinty said in a statement after signing the agreement.

The Danish Ministry of Defense reports that the agreement will strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries in a number og areas, including defense innovation, technology, capacity building, and training, exercise and education.

Arviat in Nunavut located along the western shore of Hudson Bay, will be the home of the first Inuit-led university in Canada's Arctic.

This according to CBC News.

The location of the main campus was formally announced in Ottawa on Wednesday afternoon during an event hosted by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), the national organization representing Inuit.

ITK President Natan Obed said the creation of the first university in Inuit Nunangat — the homeland of Inuit in Canada — is an important step in asserting jurisdiction in the Canadian Arctic.