Warns against changing Greenland's time zone

The political parties in the Greenlandic parliament Inatsisartut support the security agreement that Greenland, Denmark and the United States entered into in September. At the same time, several of them demand better follow-up and control over compliance with the agreement, writes Sermitsiaq.

Among other things, the agreement allows the US to establish additional defense areas in Greenland and grants American forces the right of free access of Greenlandic territory, but with respect for Greenlandic society and way of life. It also states that no state other than NATO members can establish a military presence in Greenland, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.

Inuit Ataqatigiit (IA) is calling for clear plans for how the agreement will be implemented and how local communities will be protected. The Greenlandic government must inform parliament about the implementation of the agreement at least once a year, the party demands.

Siumut, for its part, is calling for a follow-up group to ensure compliance with the agreement, as well as payment to Greenland for American use of land as well as cleanup at former military facilities.

Local authorities and tourism operatora in South Iceland are pushing back against plans to introduce a nature and infrastructure fee for tourists visiting the popular Golden Circle, according to the Icelandic national broadcaster RUV.

Ingunn Jónsdóttir, Managing Director of the Association of South Iceland Municipalities (SASS), criticizes the fact that the fee targets just three specific sites in South Iceland rather than applying to all state-owned tourist destination across the country.

The local community considers it unfair that these destinations are being taxed more heavily simply because of their success in attracting visitors, and they are calling for dialogue with the government to find a solution that works for the entire industry.

The shrimp stock and quotas for shrimp fishing have fallen significantly in the waters around Greenland, reports Greenland's broadcasting company KNR.

At Royal Greenland's factory in Sisimiut, the number of shrimp has dropped so sharply that the workforce has been reduced by nearly 50 people.

Last year, the company had 137 employees, today, that figure has fallen to between 90 and 95.

In March, factory manager Hans Lars Olsen said that operations had gone from 17 hours a day, six days a week, to 12 hours a day, four days a week.

Working hours have now been forther reduced to 10 hours a day.

Two Danish F-35 fighter jets landed in Greenland for the first time on Wednesday, at Kangerlussuaq Airport, reports KNR.

They are training alongside American F-16s and Canadian F-18s.

A Danish F-35 pilot tells the Danish Defence that Arctic conditions pose particular challenges for operations. The weather can be harsh and unpredictable, while distances between airfields are vast.

The operation is also supported by a French aerial refuelling aircraft, a Danish surveillance aircraft and a NATO AWACS aircraft.

US President Donald Trump has previously criticised Denmark for insufficient security measures in Greenland, citing threats from Russia and China.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has signed an agreement to boost internet connectivity in remote areas of northern and eastern Greenland, according to DR.

The signing took place alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and the head of Greenland's government, Jens-Frederik Nielsen.

The project will rely on satellite-based internet, with the EU contributing approximately 9.1 million euros over five years and Denmark co-financing with 15 million DKK.

The initiative is expected to increase internet speeds from 6 to 15 megabits per second for residents in these regions, making standard streaming possible. Beyond faster internet, the expansion will enhance security by providing a backup line should the existing coastal radio network fail.

The agreement forms part of a broader EU investment package in Greenland valued at up to 200 million euros in total.

Greenland’s healthcare system is struggling with a severe shortage of doctors and nurses and is currently heavily dependent on healthcare professionals from Denmark.

On September 1st, a new scheme was launched to make it easier for Danish healthcare workers to take on temporary assignments in Greenland. The scheme aims to replace expensive staffing agencies by offering free accommodation and a 15 percent bonus, according to DR.

So far, only 23 full-time positions have been registered through the scheme - far short of the target of 100 placements.

The initiative has also sparked debate. Greenlandic nurses have criticised the bonus scheme for their Danish colleagues, while experts point out that the initiative is only a small first step towards addressing the chronic staffing crisis.

Tourism in Finnish Lapland is growing rapidly, and tourism businesses are investing heavily to meet demand.

Apukka Resort in Rovaniemi has more than quintupled its revenue since 2022, reaching around €27 million, according to Finnish broadcaster Yle.

At the same time, the tourism industry fears that such rapid growth could come at the expense of quality.

According to Harri Mällinen, CEO of Apukka Resort, a poor visitor experience could lead tourists to choose other destinations.

"That is my biggest fear right now. If the quality does not remain high, it will reduce tourists’ interest in Lapland," she told Yle.

The industry is also vulnerable to global crises. The war in the Middle East, for example, led to a decline in visitors when airports in the region were closed.

The Finnish Defence Forces will participate in the Denmark-led Arctic Endurance 26 -exercise complex in the Arctic region in early autumn.

That is stated in a press release from the Finnish Defence Forces.

The service personnel that will participate are from the Navy and from the Utti Jaeger Regiment.

"Finland maintains an active posture as a NATO member nation, and takes part in strengthening security in the Arctic region together with its Allies. Participation in the exercise complex will develop the Finnish Defence Forces’ interoperability, information exchange, and competence in the Arctic operating environment," the press release states.

Participation in the exercise will offer the Finnish Defence Forces’ special forces an opportunity to develop their capability to operate in a demanding Arctic environment and to strengthen cooperation with international Allies.

Arctic Endurance is one of the enduring exercises included under NATOs Arctic Sentry. This is NATO's enhanced Vigilance Activity for the High North and aims to strengthen the Alliance's posture and presence in the Arctic region.

On Friday, the Greenlandic government published two expert reports on the human rights aspects of the involuntary IUD insertion of over 4,000 Greenlandic girls and women in the 1960s and 70s, known as the spiral case.

One report concludes that the Danish state's campagin of forced contraception was a violation of human rights, but not genocide. The second report considers that the question of genocide is complex and that a final decision can only be made by a court.

On the same day, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen took the initiative to establish a reconciliation commission in cooperation with the Danish government.

This proposal is welcomed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

“A reconciliation commission gives us the opportunity to look back at the darkness of our common history and to deal critically with it and acknowledge the pain it may have caused,” Frederiksen states in a press release.

Greenland's head of government, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, has sharply criticized Denmark for a lack of progress in constructing new Arctic patrol vessels, reports DR.

According to him, the process has been at a standstill for over a year and a half.

"Of course, this is not satisfactory. I believe that when a decision has been made to build patrol ships because the current fleet is already old, you should expedite the process," Nielsen told DR.

The plan for five new patrol vessels was launched in 2025, but technical specifications and contract negotiations remain unresolved.

Greenlandic politicians in the Inatsisartut have also expressed frustration over the pace and are urging Denmark to get the shipbuilding underway.

For the first time in recent times, conscripts have been sent to an exercise in Greenland, where they will practice and train military skills in unfamiliar terrain, participate in operational service during the Arctic Endurance exercise, and collaborate with their Greenlandic colleagues in Arctic Basic Training (Arktisk Basisuddannelse).

This is stated in a press release from the Danish Armed Forces.

Early in August, the first group of 11-month conscripts from the Schleswig Infantry Regiment landed at Nuuk Airport. For the first time, conscripts will participate in operational service during exercise Arctic Endurance, while also training and strengthening their soldier skills.

It is also the first time a team of conscripts has been deployed to Greenland.

Exercise Arctic Endurance is being conducted in close cooperation with the Greenlandic government, Naalakkersuisut. It has been decided to continue and strengthen the effort through 2026 by increasing the Danish Armed Forces' military presence and exercise activity in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. This is being done in close cooperation with several NATO allies, the Danish Armed Forces writes.

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.

A foreign hacker has been calling residents in Greenland using the official phone number of the Human Rights Council of Greenland (IPS), the council announced in a Facebook post on Monday afternoon.

"If you receive a call from the Human Rights Council, mobile number 22 95 00, between 4:00 AM and 8:00 AM, it is not us calling," the statement read.

The council further noted that they have been in contact with telecom provider Tusass, who explained that the incident is a spoofing attack, a technique allowing hackers to mask their real identity and make calls appear as though they originate from another number.

As a result, the council has chosen to shut down the phone line during evenings and overnight hours.

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.