The Silk Gloves Are off and Europe Is in the Splits Comment: The silk gloves are off. It took the Danish Defence Intelligence Service to stand up against the USA and Donald Trump. Their message cannot be misunderstood: the USA is a threat to Europe.
The Dramatic Battle Over Defense Expenses Is About Much More Than Money Comment: Right now, a dramatic battle is taking place within the EU about the continued funding of Ukraine's defense against an increasingly aggressive Russia. However, this is not just about money, but largely also about the voters' continued trust in their leaders.
Norway, European Defence, and The Future of The Nordic Welfare Model Norway, European defence, and the Future of the Nordic welfare model - What the European Banking Federation report reveals about Europe’s most crucial non EU defence partner.
The EU Finally Gets It, Leading to New Possibilities for Us Comment: While Norway is refusing to adjust its position on the EU, the EU recently adopted a new strategic resolution for the Arctic that could have a major impact on Norway and the High North. Its most notable feature is the recognition of increased militarization in the North.
Why November 2028 is Crucial for Europe's Security Comment: When will Russia once again be able to attack another European country? For Northern Europe and a number of Baltic states, that will hopefully not be possible until November 7th, 2028. The so-called peace agreement for Ukraine showcases the gravity of the situation.
The Municipal Crisis: I Had to Go to Finland to Find a Happy Mayor Comment: He had long been left in my notebook, the mayor of Finnish Sodankylä. Time and again, he lost out to comments on more critical conditions in the North. But he didn't give up. Like a blister, he called for my attention.
We Are in a Squeeze Between the EU and Russia Comment: The Northern Norwegian business sector is in a double bind. The fisheries negotiations with Russia are at a standstill, while cod quotas are continuing to decrease. The EU is closing its doors on the ferroalloy industry. In total, this impacts thousands of jobs in the North.
Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in Svalbard – More Work is Needed in The Tourism Sector
Who Will Tell the Story of Us in the North? Comment: When Donald Trump was first elected the US president in 2016, it came as a shock to American commentators and journalists. From their fortresses in Washington and New York, they had lost touch with the voters in the rest of the US.
More Worried About Putin Than the Security of Norwegian Citizens? Really? Comment: Altinget's reporter has visited Finnmark. The experience apparently made an impression. After the usual meteorological observations, as every capital-bound journalist must present after a visit to the North for some reason, she introduces claims that are completely removed from our reality in the North.
Politicians Plant Disdain For Science in Their Voters Comment (Reykjavik): What happens when political leaders plant disdain for research and science in their voters? Well, that does not remain to be seen. We are already heading there, guided by a country that once was an international beacon of research.
Locked Up in Washington, Murkowski Gave an Almost Absurd Insight Into American Madness Reykjavik (Comment): A deeply affected US Senator, Lisa Murkowski, spoke via videolink to 2,000 participants at the international Arctic Circle conference here in Reykjavik yesterday. She was supposed to be on stage, but instead showcased an involuntary digital demonstration of the madness of US politics.
Secretary McMahon Should Consider Establishing a National Resource Center on Arctic Studies within the University of Alaska System The U.S. Department of Education needs to address the geographic bias against Arctic Studies and Pacific Studies in the NRC Program. That could start with the establishment of a Center for Arctic Studies within the University of Alaska System, writes researcher Michael Walsh in this op-ed.
A Perfect Storm: When Healthcare and Defense Competes for the Same Youths Comment (Porsangmoen og Sodankyle): A perfect storm is brewing in the North. Soon, two of our most important public agencies will fight for the same workforce. Without drastic measures, one of them, perhaps both, will be left as losers.
A Quick Playbook for Congressional Oversight on Arctic Research Op-ed: It is clear that there are many Arctic research issues that warrant more engagement by the U.S. Congress, including potential non-compliance issues with statutory obligations, writes researcher Michael Walsh.
Bodø/Glimt's Success Fulfills 20 Years of High North Ambitions Comment: If we feed 20 years of the slogans and promises of the High North policy into a computer and ask for a short summary, the answer will be the football club Bodø/Glimt. No business, cultural institution, or political arena even comes close to fulfilling all political ambitions on behalf of those of us who live in the North.
Danish Drone Incursions Reveal an Embarrassing Defense Policy Blind Zone Comment: On Thursday night, the Danish Police, defense, and intelligence organized a press conference. The topic was the recent drone incursions at Danish airports and defense installations. Neither the uniforms nor the dark suits could hide the fact that Denmark is entirely lost in regard to what hit them earlier this week.
How Greenland and Denmark Can Lead the Arctic Council Towards Cleaning up Arctic Shipping As the first round of this Autumn’s Arctic Council meetings kicks off, led by Greenland under the Kingdom of Denmark Chairship, the council must seize the opportunity to set out its priorities for the future health and biodiversity of the Arctic Ocean, the people that depend on it, and global climate systems that it helps regulate, writes Dr. Sian Prior in the Clean Arctic Alliance in this op-ed.
How Greenland and Denmark Can Lead the Arctic Council Towards Cleaning up Arctic Shipping As the first round of this Autumn’s Arctic Council meetings kicks off, led by Greenland under the Kingdom of Denmark Chairship, the council must seize the opportunity to set out its priorities for the future health and biodiversity of the Arctic Ocean, the people that depend on it, and global climate systems that it helps regulate, writes Dr. Sian Prior in the Clean Arctic Alliance in this op-ed.
How Greenland and Denmark Can Lead the Arctic Council Towards Cleaning up Arctic Shipping As the first round of this Autumn’s Arctic Council meetings kicks off, led by Greenland under the Kingdom of Denmark Chairship, the council must seize the opportunity to set out its priorities for the future health and biodiversity of the Arctic Ocean, the people that depend on it, and global climate systems that it helps regulate, writes Dr. Sian Prior in the Clean Arctic Alliance in this op-ed.
Arctic Research Should Advance More Than U.S. National Security Interests The U.S. Government does not have a good grasp on the federally funded research needs for advancing U.S. national interests in the Arctic. That became clear to me when the U.S. Arctic Research Commission (USARC) recently published a new report that was intended to articulate those needs, writes researcher Michael Walsh in this op-ed.
Ice Melt Drives Earth's Sea Level Rise "Reducing black carbon emissions would help slow the meltdown", says Kay Brown, Arctic Policy Director at Pacific Environment.
Trump Administration’s Securitization of Arctic Affairs and Its Implications for U.S. Federally Funded Research The Trump Administration is in the process of securitizing Arctic affairs. "That will almost certainly have a significant impact on the future of U.S. federally funded research related to the Arctic", says Michael Walsh, researcher atthe University of the Witwatersrand.
We Are Placing Our Faith in the Hands of a President With Contempt for Democracy Comment: The US warship USSGerald R. Ford hassailed into the Oslofjord once again. This reminds the rest of the country that we must prepare for war. Yet, the voyage into a fjord usually filled with cruise boats and pleasure yachts is also a story about us placing our faith in the hands of a president with dramatically different values from ours.
Stories of Frustration from the «Third Pole» I came to Kathmandu for a conference. I left as the airport shut, protests turned deadly, and the prime minister resigned. These are the impressions I carried home.
Norway's 2025 Election: The Election In Which Half of Norway Was Overlooked and Forgotten Comment: The Norwegian parliamentary election of 2025 will go down as the election in which half of Norway was ignored and forgotten. That is both striking and scary. The gentle attempts at putting the High North on the agenda were arrogantly dismissed.
A Breakdown That Could Lead to an Ecological Disaster Comment: If anyone still wonders whether Norway is deeply involved in Russia's war against Ukraine, they should take a look at the threats against the Norwegian-Russian fisheries agreement. Add a US threat to the Norwegian Oil Fund, and a perfect storm is brewing around two of our most important resources.
Norway’s High North Strategy: The Same Slogans, but an Entirely Different and Dramatic Situation Comment from Kirkenes, Northern Norway: The Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide was state secretary in the Ministry of Defense when the Labor Party launched its first Arctic policy. Now, 20 years later, the problems remain the same, but the security policy situation is completely different.
The Spectacular Arctic: On Church Walks and Football Kiruna: This week, I have wandered and biked around Kiruna, a Swedish mining city, home to 22.4000 inhabitants. The city is moving and even the old, beautiful church has been on a drive. Back in Norway, I've seen an Arctic football club, Bodø Glimt, take its first step into European top football.
Knowledge Needs for Navigating the Central Arctic Ocean Op-ed: The Central Arctic Ocean is becoming more accessible for shipping. The ability to navigate at the top of the globe presents new opportunities, risks, and uncertainties. We need more transdisciplinary research to develop proactive responses to shipping growth, writes Julia Olsen, Associate Professor at Nord University.
Putin Meeting Trump in the Arctic Has a Purely Practical, Not Political, Reasoning At the time of writing, the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska is only hours away. The meeting takes place in the American Arctic for purely practical, not political reasons. The symbolism, however, is heavy.
Should We Really Secure Our Own Peace to Speculation in Israeli War Stocks? Comment: For almost two years, the occupying power Israel has attacked and killed civilian Palestinians. At the same time as the ongoing genocide, the Norwegian Oil Fund has systematically cherry-picked stocks in the Israeli war industry. The profit is used to secure our own peace.
Call From Longyearbyen for Increased Norwegian Military Presence in Svalbard Harstad (High North News): Norway must be able to defend Svalbard, believes Terje Aunevik, Chair of the Longyearbyen Community Council. At the same time, he and the County Chair for Finnmark Socialist Left are calling for proper strengthening of critical infrastructure in the North.
Call From Longyearbyen for Increased Norwegian Military Presence in Svalbard Harstad (High North News): Norway must be able to defend Svalbard, believes Terje Aunevik, Chair of the Longyearbyen Community Council. At the same time, he and the County Chair for Finnmark Socialist Left are calling for proper strengthening of critical infrastructure in the North.
High Noon 2025: Northern Debate on Svalbard, Tax Cuts, Norway Seen From Russia, and Dictatorship Next week, the debate series High Noon will take place during the True Northern Arts Festival in Northern Norway. This year's edition addresses questions under the headline 'Everything is about security' – and offers strong voices from arts and culture, politics and business, research and journalism, as well as defense.
The Norwegian King's Svalbard Visit Was Important for Completely Different Reasons Than Sovereignty Comment: Norway's King Harald has visited Svalbard. Iconic pictures of royalty struggling to get ashore on the stormy Arctic island of Bjørnøya, before boarding a trailer pulled by a tractor, are going around the world. From there, stories about the geopolitical significance of the King's visit have arisen.
Trump Wants to Pull Troops Out of Europe. To Use Them Against His Own People? Comment: Donald Trump continues to threaten aid for Ukraine. Instead, he sends soldiers against his own people. Whether or not he, as president, is allowed to do so is apparently besides the point.
The Fascists, Autocrats, and Dictators Looking to Ruin Our Democracy Are Creeping Closer Comment: It is not the fear of a military war in the Arctic that frightens me most. It is the increasingly extensive attack on our democracies that keeps me awake at night. The war is already underway and will not be stopped by expanding weapon arsenals.
A Good Tax Proposal Which Should Also Be Used Where It Is Most Urgently Needed Comment: Norway's Minister of Finance utilizes tax measures to get more young people into work. Through a raffle, he aims to test the impact of tax reliefs on those outside the workforce. It is a good proposal and should also be applied to other vulnerable groups.
The Arctic Council Survives Both Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump Comment: They stood humble, but smiling in the background, Norway's Morten Høglund and Solveig Rossabø, when Denmark took over the chairship of the Arctic Council on Monday. In front of them, on stage, the Norwegian MFA Espen Barth Eide had just presented a collection of non-committal political platitudes, or a closing statement as it is officially called.
Trump’s Geopolitical Alignment With the Kremlin - Prioritizing Power Over Democratic Principles and Arctic Security
The Arctic Council: On the Brink of Collapse or Still a Hope for Cooperation? Comment: The US threatens to take over Greenland and Canada with military power if necessary. The Nordic countries, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, fear a military attack from Russia. On Monday, they "meet" in Tromsø.
They Are Practically Stumbling in the Dark, but the Message Is Crystal Clear Comment: The experts who are supposed to inform us about the future in a war-ridden Europe are practically stumbling in the dark. So what are they still trying to tell us?
Thawing Ground, Rising Stakes: Why Arctic Change Demands New Resilience Op-ed: The melting of permafrost in the Arctic leads to a plethora of unwanted consequences, and there is an urgent need for action. "Waiting until permafrost thaws is a visible emergency will already be too late," writes Master of Environmental Management candidate at Yale University, Hassan Alzain, in this op-ed.
The Flight to America Did Not Turn Out as Planned Comment: They fled Norwegian tax policies and a lack of predictability in the industrial policy. Those who left for the US got the worst of it. It turns out the grass wasn't greener on the other side of the Atlantic.
