opinions
Newsletter from the Editor:
More Talk Than Action
Dear reader. This week’s focus is on defense and Russia. We visited Evenes Air Station and met Norway’s ambassador to Russia. Meanwhile, in Finnmark, students are practicing emergency preparedness. Here is the week’s coverage from and about the Arctic.
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Russia is looking to China to develop its major economic interests in the Arctic. However, Norway's ambassador to Russia says to journalist Linn Ophaug that there has been more talk than action.
But despite Western sanctions cargo traffic on Russia’s Northern Sea Route is heading for a record in 2026.
Commentator Arne O. Holms sums up the summer like this:
“A summer in which a dysfunctional American administration has wreaked havoc both in the Middle East and in Greenland.”
Science news
Marine heatwaves around Svalbard now occur multiple times a year and last significantly longer than before.
And a new film series from the Arctic Council offers a rare insight into seabird research on Bear Island.
Defence
Journalist Astri Edvardsen visited Evenes Air Station in the Norwegian Arctic, where cooperation between Norway and the UK has reached a new stage.
One of the most popular articles of the week is about over 800 pupils in Finnmark, Northern Norway, who have received training in societal security and preparedness.
Intensive defense training is taking place in the Arctic:
Going forward, naval forces from Canada, the US, Denmark and France will conduct joint operations across the Labrador Sea and Davis Strait.
The Bering Strait region will see more military activity in the coming weeks, and the US-led military exercise Northern Viking begins on and around Iceland on Saturday.
Stay tuned for the latest news from the Armed Forces in Finnmark and other news from the North. Feel free to share the newsletter with others who might be interested.
Best regards, Editor-in-Chief Trine Jonassen
