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Arctic Allies with Joint Statement on Arctic Security
In connection with the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Helsingborg, Sweden on Friday, Arctic Allies in NATO issues a Joint Statement on Arctic security.
The Arctic Allies, which consist of Canada, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the United States, and the Kingdom of Denmark including Greenland and the Faroe Islands, agree to deepen dialogue on security challenges in the Arctic and the High North.
"Recognizing the security challenges and economic opportunities in the Arctic and the High North, the Arctic Allies met to discuss our efforts to build a secure and prosperous region," the statement reads.
"The Arctic is quickly becoming a sphere of increasing geopolitical strategic importance. With Russia´s increased military activity and China´s growing strategic interest, we seek to bolster stability in the Arctic region."
It is furthermore noted that the Arctic Allies are enhancing military presence, surveillance capabilities, and joint training in the region. They furthermore emphasize that they do so in a coordinated and calibrated way.
"We support NATO’s increased presence in the region through activities such as Arctic Sentry, Air Policing in Iceland, and Forward Land Forces Finland, as well as the ongoing strengthening of the Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, a new CAOC in Norway and the ongoing modernization of NORAD."
"With new opportunities opening up, and new challenges emerging, close cooperation on Arctic security and economic development among our nations is more important than ever – as Europe and Canada are assuming a greater responsibility for deterrence and defense across the region."
The Arctic countries also recognize the importance of economic and resource development in the Arctic and have tasked experts to coordinate more closely on these issues, including research security, investment screening, and critical infrastructure modernization and protection.
"We look forward to continuing to work together to achieve our common goal of a secure, prosperous, and peaceful Arctic," the statement concludes.
Have not mapped drone activity during Cold Response
During the Cold Response exercise in March, the police received many reports of drone sightings.
They accounted for 40 percent of suspicious incidents that, according to Lars Lindén, head of the intelligence and prevention section at the Tromsø police district, “are being investigated in light of the current security situation during Cold Response.”
This was reported by the National Defence Magazine.
The incidents concern both drones that are participating in the exercise and hostile drones that are engaged in information gathering for a foreign state.
The National Defence Magazine has been in contact with the police and the Norwegian Armed Forces following the exercise to find out what drone sightings they have mapped, in addition to the use of drones in the exercise itself.
However, neither the Norwegian Armed Forces nor the police have made any attempt to determine whether any of the sightings may actually be of a suspicious nature.
NATO stress-tested military plans with focus on the Arctic
Over the past week, NATO has conducted the computer-assisted command post exercise Steadfast Deterrence, in which all allied command structure headquarters and 32 member states participated.
The exercise stress-tested NATO’s integrated military plans under the concept for deterrence and defense of the Euro-Atlantic Area, focusing on the Arctic and the High North.
"Steadfast Deterrence 2026 was designed to replicate the complexities in the Arctic and the High North, integrating real-world plans, cutting-edge simulation technologies and AI-enabled warfighting platforms," says Major General Ruprecht von Butler, Commander of NATO Joint Warfare Centre and the Exercise Director.
"Overall, the exercise played a major role in operationalizing NATO's Concept for Deterrence and Defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area, demonstrating that we train to fight and win," Butler adds.
NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe visited Bodø, Northern Norway
Norway's role in the High North was central when General Alexsus G. Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), visited Norway last week.
“Norway holds a unique geostrategic position and plays a central role as NATO’s eyes and ears in the Arctic. We could not do our job without Norwegian support,” said Grynkewich.
After meetings in Oslo with the Norwegian chief of defense, prime minister and minister of defense, the general travelled to Bodø, Northern Norway, to visit NATO's new combined air operations centre. There he received first-hand briefings on how Norwegian and allied air forces operate together in the High North.
ALSO READ: CAOC Bodø Completes First Major Exercise as a Fully-Fledged NATO Headquarters
Northerners most concerned about network sabotage
In a survey conducted on behalf of Norwegian telecompany Telenor, 59 percent of respondents in Northern Norway said they are concerned that the mobile network could be put out of service as a result of sabotage.
"No one can promise that the network will never go down. But Telenor has built a network, a system and an organization that is ready to handle most challenges and crises", says Birgitte Engebretsen, CEO, Telenor Norway, in a press release.
Both the Intelligence Service, the Police Security Service and the National Security Authority point to sabotage of infrastructure as a scenario to be prepared for that could hit Norway at any time. Over the past five years, Telenor has invested 14 billion in modernizing and securing its networks.
EU and Norway to strengthen security cooperation in the Arctic
On Tuesday, the EU and Norway held their fifth security and defense dialogue in Oslo, where cooperation in the Arctic was among the topics.
"We agreed to reinforce our preparedness to tackle evolving security risks, including in the Arctic region, and enhance our cooperation on critical sectors needed for civil-military interaction," the parties said in a joint statement.
They also referred to a new framework for dialogue between the EU and Norway on the Arctic, with the first meeting taking place this spring.
The meeting was co-chaired by Charles Fries, Deputy Secretary General for Peace, Security and Defence at the European External Action Service, and Eivind Vad Petersson, State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
ALSO READ: EU Foreign Policy Chief in Northern Norway – Gathered Input for New Arctic Strategy
Strenghtens cooperation between Norwegian and Canadian Coast Guards
The Norwegian and Canadian coast guards have signed a new cooperation agreement, which will strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the Arctic.
The agreement was signed during the Arctic Coast Guard Forum in Copenhagen last week.
In a post on Facebook, the Norwegian Navy informs that the agreement facilitates increased and long-term cooperation in education, training and exchange of personnel.
This is part of a broader international effort to strengthen security, preparedness and situational awareness in the Arctic, it further states.
Other states that participated in the forum in Copenhagen were Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and the USA.
Announces homeporting of the first two Arctic Security Cutters in Alaska
On Thursday this week, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that the first two Arctic Security Cutters will be homeported in the State of Alaska.
"Anticipating delivery of the first Arctic Security Cutters by the end of 2028, the Coast Guard has begun planning to ensure necessary infrastructure and support are in place to receive two icebreakers. Ensuring these vessels are supported by trained and ready crews, and ready homeport facilities including housing, will be essential to delivering full, enduring operational capability required to meet emerging Arctic security challenges," a press release from the USCG reads.
“Homeporting Arctic Security Cutters in Alaska underscores the United States’ leadership as a maritime power in the Arctic,” said Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard.
“By strategically positioning these state-of-the-art icebreakers in Alaska, the Coast Guard will maximize our ability to defend our northern border and approaches, while reinforcing America’s maritime dominance in a crucial region of strategic importance," Lunday added.
The homeporting of the first two Arctic Security Cutters in Alaska builds on the historic expansion of the Coast Guard’s icebreaker fleet and underscores an unprecedented investment in the Arctic, the press release states.
The announcement is furthermore described as a national milestone in U.S. Arctic capability, following contract awards for up to 11 Arctic Security Cutters.
Whaling season has commenced in Norway
On April 1st, Norwegian whalers could commence this year's minke whale hunt.
The quota is 1,641 animals, an increase of 235 from the previous year. Last year, 428 animals were caught.
10 vessels participated in last year's whaling. This year, 14 vessels have registered. So far, only "Reinebuen" from Lofoten in Northern Norway has begun the hunt, reports Lofotposten.
Critical fiber cables better secured
A cable that are exposed in the open air makes Norway more vulnerable to sabotage. Now the National Communications Unit (Nkom) and the e-com industry are joining forces to strengthen security around critical infrastructure.
“We need to gain better control over which cables are so important that they must be better protected against damage, sabotage and outages,” says Svein Scheie, security director at Nkom according to a press release.
He believes the work is very important for digital preparedness in Norway.
According to Minister of Digitalization and Public Administration Karianne Tung (Labour), there is great economic and social value in the use of the cables.
"In the government's plan for Norway, we are investing heavily in security in the digital infrastructure. The fiber cables transport great values for Norwegian business to the world. They are the basis for us to live and work throughout the country. That is why it is so important that we secure them better against sabotage, accidents and extreme weather", says Tung.
New poll: Iceland against EU membership
A new opinion poll from Iceland shows that more Icelanders oppose EU membership than are in favor, writes RUV Iceland.
According to the poll, 47% of the population is against Iceland joining the EU, while 40% are positive. Thirteen percent are undecided.
When only those who actually take a position are counted, 54% are against Iceland joining the EU, compared to 46% in favor, the survey suggests.
Support has fallen by four percentage points, from 44 percent in April last year, while opposition has increased by eleven points from 36 percent in the same period.
Oulu 2026: Arts festival links the Arctic and the Mediterranean
The European Capital of Culture year in Oulu, Northern Finland, opened in January. Now, Oulu2026 announces that the ambitious E75 Art Bus will soon will depart from city’s town hall.
On April 9th, the rolling art festival will begin its journey through 20 cities and villages along Europe’s eastern edge (the E75 road). While the southernmost stop is in Crete, Greece, the art bus will round off its journey at the Finnmark coast, Northern Norway, with festivities in Vardø on May 16th.
At the various locations, artists on the bus will create performances, exhibitions, workshops and discussions around topics such as democracy, the climate crisis, diversity, and community.
Among them is a dancer who sheds light on folk dance as a form of resistance, a ceramic artist who collects people's sorrows across Europe to release them into the Barents Sea, as well as a media artist who researches migration and invites the audience to sing with birds.
The project connects people, cultures and perspectives from the Arctic to the Mediterranean in a time when contact, mobility and hope are more important than ever, writes Oulu2026.
No sign eruption in Iceland is ending
There are no signs that the eruption sequence on Sundhnúksgígaröð, on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula, is coming to an end - despite the slow speed of magma accumulation, RUV reports.
Magma intrusions and eruptions remain the most likely scenario on the Reykjanes Peninsula, according to a statement from Veðurstofa Íslands (Icelandic Meteorological Office) issued alongside a new hazard assessment for the area, valid until June.
13 conscripts suffered frostbite in Northern Sweden
Thirteen conscripts suffered frostbite during an exercise in Norrbotten, Northern Sweden, in February after the heater in their tent stopped working, according to SVT.
The number of people affected by frostbite in the Swedish defense sector has increased significantly this winter.
During the first two months of the year, 134 cases of frostbite were reported. In comparison, 47 cases of frostbite were reported in all of 2025.
Arctic sea ice nears record low
This year's sea ice maximum is set to be the second lowest since satellite measurements began, only to be turned off in 2025, reports the Bjerknes Center for Climate Research.
Since 1979, satellites have been monitoring sea ice in the Arctic and measuring how extensive the ice has been at its greatest extent. In their first year, the measurements showed an extent of over 16.5 million square kilometers of sea ice, from the first measurement until this year the ice has been reduced by a full 1.5 million square kilometers.
Only 2018 and 2025 have had similar low values at this time of year.
Innovation speech 2026 to Bodø
For the first time, Innovation Norway is organizing its largest annual event outside of Oslo, when the Innovation Speech will be held on May 12, 2026 in Bodø, Northern Norway.
The choice of Bodø is not accidental, reports Innovation Norway.
"In a time of increased geopolitical tension and a demanding security situation, Northern Norway is in a special position. Not only geographically, but also strategically," the press release states.
The Innovation Speech 2026 focuses on the geopolitical tension and how preparedness and business development are interconnected. Innovation Norway's Director Håkon Haugli says that security, preparedness, innovation and business development are closely linked.
Arctic sealift ships stuck in the Persian Gulf
Two Transport Desgagné ships are stuck in the Persian Gulf as Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz.
The sealift ships manage annual seaborne supplies to Nunavut and Nunavik in Canada.
The ships arrived in the Gulf just days before the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28th. The attack led to an immediate blockade of the 34-kilometer strait that connects the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea.
"Our crews are safe," says David Rivest, president and general manager of trans-Arctic operations for Transport Desgagné's shipping company to Nunatsiag.
According to Rivest, the situation is tense:
“There are hundreds of ships in the area and we are waiting for the appropriate conditions and instructions to depart the region safely."
Each vessel has between 15 and 20 crew members.
“At this point, it is difficult to do hypothetical scenarios in terms of how long and what the impact could be” on Arctic sealift operations, says Rivest, who states that the company is working on contingency plans.
Airbnb record in Northern Norway - turnover of NOK 1.4 billion
In 2025, short-term rentals through Airbnb amounted to nearly NOK 1.4 billion in Tromsø, Lofoten, Bodø and Alta in Northern Norway.
This is an increase of 28 percent from the previous year, according to a new report from Kunnskapsbanken.
Tromsø dominates in the winter season, and singlehandedly accounted for NOK 905 million of the turnover, an increase of 36 percent from the previous year.
Lofoten is undisputedly the largest in the summer season and accounted for NOK 385 million, up from 338 million in 2024.
Around 350 people in emergency shelters in Iceland
A number of people were unable to reach their destinations in Iceland due to severe weather and poor road conditions last night.
It is estimated that about 350 people are in emergency shelters and a considerable number are staying elsewhere. Many roads are still impassable and an uncertainty level due to avalanche risk remains in effect.