Greenland's Human Rights Council Subjected to Cyberattack

The Government of Greenland has received inquiries that cruise ships sailing in certain fjord areas are perceived as a burden on the local population and the affected natural areas. The inquiries concern, among other things, the impact on wildlife, noise pollution and the desire to preserve the areas' natural and recreational values.

This is stated by the Greenland government, Naalakkersuisut, in a press release.

In the statement, the government writes that it views positively the growing interest in Greenland as a travel destination and recognizes that cruise tourism contributes significantly to the development of the tourism industry, but also emphasizes that tourism development occurs on a sustainable basis and with respect for the local population, nature and wildlife.

Against this background, the Government of Greenland recommends that cruise ship navigation in fjord areas be avoided or limited as much as possible.

"The purpose of the recommendation is to limit the impact on vulnerable natural areas and wildlife, and to accommodate the wishes of the local population to preserve the areas' recreational values ​​and opportunities for hunting and fishing."

Statistics Greenland recently published new numbers for the population on the massive Arctic island.

According to the agency, there is a record high mid-year population.

On July 1st, 2026, 56.945 people lived in the country. That is 114 more than on April 1st this year.

20,384 people now live in Nuuk, which is 299 more than on the same day, last year.

The population statistics are based on data from the Central Population Register (CPR), which records all individuals who are officially registered as residents of Greenland at a given point in time.

"It should be noted that information about individuals who emigrate from the Kingdom of Denmark is often reported with a delay. Therefore, the number of foreign nationals in the statistics may be higher than the actual number," Statistics Greenland informs.

The Nordic Council Presidium held its summer meeting in Nuuk this year, following a decision earlier in the year to move the meeting from Rovaniemi as a clear expression of solidarity with Greenland.

This was announced by the Nordic Council in a press release.

The Nordic Council Presidium is the highest political and decision-making body of the Nordic Council between its annual sessions. The Presidium is responsible for overarching political issues, administration, the budget, and foreign and security policy. It also leads and coordinates the Council's other work.

In conjunction with the meetings, Nordic Council President Ville Väyrynen participated in Greenland’s National Day celebrations and met with representatives from Inatsisartut, the health sector, and Canada’s representation in Greenland. Weather conditions meant that some Presidium members had to participate digitally, but the program in Nuuk was carried out as planned.

The Presidium discussed, among other things, work on a new Nordic strategy for societal security and met with Greenlandic authorities and societal stakeholders to discuss Arctic security, civil preparedness, children's rights, and social resilience. The discussions underscored that Nordic security is about far more than military defense, in line with the Finnish-Ålandic presidency program’s emphasis on comprehensive security.

At the same time, the visit reaffirmed the importance of close Nordic cooperation and of standing united with Greenland during a time of geopolitical uncertainty. The Nordic Council holds six ordinary meetings per year.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M) expects that there will be a solution before the end of the year, as a result of negotiations between the Danish-Greenlandic-American working group, which have been ongoing since January.

This is reported by the Danish newspaper Politiken, cited in, among other things, the Greenlandic Sermitsiaq.

Løkke Rasmussen estimates that there is a need for "a number of meetings", he tells Politiken.

Denmark, Greenland and the United States agreed in January to establish a working group to discuss the way forward.

Relations between Denmark and Greenland on the one hand, and the United States on the other, have been tense after US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to take over Greenland.

Norway is strengthening its presence in Greenland and will open a Consulate General in Nuuk to further develop cooperation with Greenland at a time when the Arctic is gaining increasing strategic importance.

That is stated in a press release.

"The High North remains Norway’s most important strategic priority, and the Arctic is becoming increasingly important for international politics and security. Greenland is a close partner for Norway, and a Consulate General in Nuuk will strengthen both political contact and cooperation on shared interests in the region," said Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

"A Consulate General in Nuuk will give us closer contact with the Greenlandic authorities, the business community and civil society. It will strengthen cooperation in areas where Norway and Greenland already share strong interests, such as fisheries, maritime affairs and Indigenous peoples’ issues. It will also give us better opportunities to develop new areas of cooperation in the years ahead," said Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.

Norway has had an honorary consulate general in Nuuk since 1986.

On Friday 19 June, the Norwegian Coast Guard vessel KV Hopen will leave Bergen, Norway, to carry out Operation Arctic Cohesion 2026.

This is an extensive, international expedition that will strengthen cooperation between Arctic coast guards, the Norwegian Armed Forces states in a press release.

The voyage marks the start of a two-month expedition through the North Atlantic, during which Norway, together with partners in Iceland, the United States, Canada and Greenland, will carry out a number of activities, exercises and professional exchanges.

Operation Arctic Cohesion 2026 is a key part of the Arctic Coast Guard Forum (ACGF) collaboration, and will show how the coast guards in the Arctic cooperate in practice to safeguard safety, emergency preparedness and the environment in an increasingly active sea area.

"Security and emergency preparedness in the Arctic are created through practical cooperation. When coast guards from several nations train, sail and solve missions together, we strengthen our collective ability to ensure safety in some of the world's most demanding sea areas," says Deputy Commander of the Norwegian Coast Guard, Commander Ture Lehn.

In December 2025, the Danish government announced that Greenlandic women who had an Intrauterine Device (IUD) inserted without consent during the period 1960-1991 could receive 300,000 DKK in compensation.

The Danish Ministry of Interior and Health has previously stated that approximately 4,500 women may be eligible for compensation.

A special travel team will travel from Denmark to Greenland during the autumn to help women seek compensation in the IUD case.

This was reported by the Danish Patient Compensation Agency to the Danish news agency DR.

The first round trip will begin at the end of September. The team plans two more rounds in 2027.

The new Danish government has presented the basis for its work over the next four years, with a strong focus on Greenland.

Investments, historical studies and greater Greenlandic influence are what the new Danish government promises Greenland. The input is well received by the parliamentarians Naaja H. Nathanielsen (IA) and Qarsoq Høegh-Dam (N).

This is reported by KNR.

“The last few years have shown what it means when we stand together,” said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (Social Democrats) when she presented her new government.

The positive feedback is not only about the recognition of Greenland’s right to self-determination. The concrete promises of investment and development also play a role in the politicians’ assessment of the new government’s basis.

The government consists of the Social Democrats, the Liberal Democrats, the Moderates and the Radical Left with Mette Frederiksen, the chair of the Social Democrats, as prime minister. This is her third term.

In the new government basis, there are a number of things that Denmark will do to strengthen cooperation in the Confederation of Danish Industries.

This must also be done on Greenlandic terms.

This week, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela, is visiting Nuuk to strengthen the EU's partnership with Greenland and discuss the update of the union's Arctic strategy.

Síkela is leading the work on the renewal of the strategy and has had meetings with Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and Múte B. Egede, Naalakkersuisoq (Minister) for Foreign Affairs, Business and Mineral Resources.

This autumn, the European Commission proposed doubling support for Greenland in the Union's long-term budget for 2028-2034. The discussions have covered the EU's expected investment package and cooperation in fields such as sustainable value chains for raw materials, renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and sustainable tourism.

The Commissioner has also met with local businesses and civil society representatives and is participating in the business conference Future Greenland 2026.

In recent months, the US has held regular consultations with Denmark and Greenland about expanding its military presence in Greenland, anonymous US officials told BCC.

According to BBC sources, the US wants to establish three bases in southern Greenland to monitor Russian and Chinese maritime activity. The closed Narsarsuaq air base is mentioned as a possible option. Washington D.C. has also proposed that these should become sovereign US territory, one of the sources said.

“We will not give away a stamp of our territory. That would be a red line,” Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen (Demokraatit) told Danish TV2 on Tuesday.

Nielsen also stated that he could envisage an increased US presence in Greenland.

The US desire for access to three new areas on the island became known in March when the head of the US Northern Command, General Gregory M. Guillot, spoke at a hearing in the Senate Defense Committee.

In Tuesday's new elections to the Danish Parliament, two new members were elected from Greenland: Naaja H. Nathanielsen of Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) and Qarsoq Høegh-Dam of Naleraq.

With this, Nathanielsen leaves her position as Greenland's Naalakkersuisoq (Minister) for Industry, Energy, Raw Materials, Justice and Gender Equality. She replaces IA's long-time parliamentary representative Aaja Chemnitz.

"I believe that the time has come for a reform of the structure of the kingdom. It is not about division, but about securing the future", Nathanielsen wrote on Linkedin as part of his election campaign.

IA became the largest Greenlandic party in the election with 6133 votes, followed by Naleraq (5268), Demokraatit (3767), Siumut (3515) and Atassut (2290). The voter turnout in Greenland was 52.3%.

The Greenland government is launching new measures to support so-called legally fatherless people - people born out of wedlock who, before 1974, did not have the right to know their father, inherit from him or take his surname. Before the law amendment, there was no obligation to be a father in Greenland.

The measures include free legal advice, the opportunity to file paternity cases, therapy services and a new telephone line available in both Greenland and Denmark. The authorities are also travelling around the country to meet those affected and organize information meetings.

Minister for Children, Youth, Families and Internal Affairs, Nivi Olsen, explains to KNR that the initiatives are intended to both acknowledge and correct past injustices.

"We cannot change history, but we can acknowledge it and offer a helping hand to those who want help understanding their background and compiling their own history," she says in a written response to KNR.

This time, those affected themselves have been involved in designing the measures. DKK 9.7 million has been allocated for the work in the period 2026–2029.

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.

The Greenlandic Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, says 'no, thanks' to US President Donald Trump's hospital ship.

Trump said he would dispatch a hospital ship in a social media post to bring health services to Greenland.

Jens-Frederik Nielsen responded by saying 'no, thanks' and that Greenland has free healthcare and that "This is a conscious decision and a fundamental part of our society."

The US Special Envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, reacted strongly to Nielsen's response. He says Nielsen should be ashamed and that Donald Trump and America care in a post on X.

There are currently cyber attacks, so-called DDoS attacks, against Greenlandic websites.

That is confirmed by the Danish Resilience Agency to Ritzau, Greenlandic KNR reports.

"We are following the situation closely and are in ongoing dialogue with relevant authorities in Denmark and Greenland about the current attacks," the agency writes in a written comment.

DDoS attacks involves attempts to overload websites or networks so that they do not work and cannot be accessed.

278 Asians arrived in Greenland in 2025, contributing to an increase in the overall population of 198.

This is reported by Sermitsiaq.

At the end of the year, 56,740 people were living in the country. The number of people with Danish citizenship continues to decline, as it has for six consecutive years. In addition, the number of people born in Greenland also continues to decline.

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.

The Danish Ministry of Defense and the Greenlandic government have decided to increase the admission to the Arctic basic training in Greenland from 30 to 50 students starting in the summer of 2026.

"The educational program will provide young people in Greenland with broad basic training which can strengthen the collective Greenlandic preparedness," said Major General Søren Andersen, Chief of the Joint Arctic Command, when the education programme was launched in 2023.

The increase in the number of students is to meet the great interest in the education programme among young Greenlanders, writes the Danish Armed Forces. In 2024, the new education program received 200 applications.

US Senator for Alaska, Lisa Murkowski (R), is to visit Nuuk, Greenland next week.

That is reported by several media outlets.

Greenlandic parliament member Aaja Chemnitz (IA) has told DR that the visit is to happen on February 6.

Earlier this month, Murkowski visited Copenhagen, Denmark, with several other US lawmakers in midst of US President Trump's continued remarks about the need for control over Greenland.

"It pleases me that my long-standing cooperation with Senator Murkowski can create a framework for dialogue at this time," said Chemnitz in a post on Facebook.

Chemnitz statet that the meeting with the lawmakers in Copenhagen was a result of her dialogue with Senator Murkowski.