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The Arctic Threat Landscape
Dear reader. Norway considers Putin to be the greatest threat, not Trump. But for science, the American president has been completely destructive. Here is the latest news from the North.
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Arctic Ocean 2050, Norway's biggest research project, has officially kicked off. The project is considered especially important at a time when fact and truth are continuously challenged.
During her visit to Northern Norway and the Arctic Frontiers conference, the US researcher Åsa Rennermalm described how Trump's attack on science has been devastating.
"But we see similar things happening in Europe, too,” she warned, just before getting a flight back to the USA.
People in the North
Journalist Linn Ophaug documents how the Arctic winter affects people who live in the North.
For wheelchair user Marte Imingen, winter means a life with less freedom, more barriers, and constant uncertainty.
Threat landscape
Global security is more strained than it was at the start of 2025, states the Norwegian Intelligence Service. They say that both Russia and China are paying close attention.
Something is off about the public parts of Norwegian intelligence reports, says commentator Arne O. Holm.
“Last year, the Arctic was hardly mentioned. That has been corrected in this year's intelligence report. However, Donald Trump is conspicuously absent.”
During Arctic Frontiers, journalist Astri Edvardsen met the EU High Representative and Vice-President, who highlighted security as the most important input while staying in the Norwegian Arctic.
Yet Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor) does not appear to recognize that preparedness is different in the Arctic, and recommends that the northerners should get an extra pair of mittens.
The EU's 20th sanctions package proposes restrictions on LNG tankers and ice-class vessels, aiming to target Russia’s Arctic gas exports by banning related maintenance and services.
Read about all this and more at High North News.
In the coming days, we'll cover the Arctic Council, Norwegian intelligence, and we'll take a closer look at Norwegian exports, among other topics. Feel free to follow us on social media and participate in the debate.
Best, Editor-in-Chief Trine Jonassen
