Willy (84) Has Researched Current Arctic Challenges Through a Historical Lens Willy Østreng (84) has spent five years on his new book,The Geopolitical Arctic Ocean. Through two volumes, he examines the current challenges in the Arctic Ocean through a historical lens. He wishes to place his own research into a greater context.
Arctic Researcher Charlotte (27): “There Is So Much Beauty to Look After” Arctic researcher Charlotte Gehrke incorporates her journalistic training into her research, valuing science communication as a democratic project, particularly in the current political and environmental situation.
The Geopolitical Development in the Arctic Reflects the World Order, Says Researcher UiT Researcher Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen rejects the idea of 'Arctic exceptionalism' and believes the Arctic mirrors the global power struggle between the East and the West. He believes this Arctic divide will likely only escalate. The US with Trump in the forefront will also impact this relationship, but the country will still have major security policy interests in the region, he says to HNN.
Could There Be War in the Arctic? “We Should Be Concerned, but Not Afraid,” Says Researcher "But Russia hardly wants a large-scale war with NATO," believes senior researcher Andreas Østhagen at the High North Center for Business and Governance and the Fridtjof Nansen Institute. On Thursday and Friday, international politicians, scientists and Arctic experts will meet in Oslo to discuss security in the Arctic.
Myths of Svalbard Geopolitics Debunked by Researcher Svalbard researcher Andreas Østhagen says certain misunderstandings about Svalbard continue to appear in media and scholarly work, of which the most common concerns Svalbard’s status as a ‘shared space’ or its legal status as being ‘ambiguous.’ He says the Norwegian government’s silence is fueling such misconceptions.
“Practicing Norway’s Role as a Transit Country Is an Historic Development” Narvik (High North News): The exercise Immediate Response has commenced. Tons of US military equipment arrived in Narvik, Northern Norway, last week and is to be transported into the Nordic region for further military training. Now, Norway's role as a transit country is being practiced in light of NATO's Nordic expansion, says Colonel May Brith Valen-Odlo.
Turkey Is One Step Closer to Accessioning the Svalbard Treaty Turkey's president Erdoğan has signed a bill on the country's accession to the Svalbard Treaty. The bill will be processed in the parliament's general assembly in the coming days.
"Not Enough Debate About the Specific Challenges on Svalbard" "Svalbard is the only place where we have to deal with both Russian citizens and Russian authorities," says Andreas Østhagen, senior researcher at Fridtjof Nansen Institute. Next week, a series of seminars will be organized on Svalbard to increase knowledge of Svalbard's geopolitical role.
Chief of Defence to HNN: Russian Military Activity is Unusually Low in the High North Russia has relocated large ground forces from the High North to Ukraine. Norway's Chief of Defence, Eirik Kristoffersen, says this indicates that the neighboring country sees the High North as stable, and that there are no major threats here.
The Arctic will become ‘contested’ without US presence and partnerships, says Vice Admiral Enhancing presence and cultivating partnerships in the Arctic are vital to ensuring the region does not become a contested space, according to 2nd Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis.
New Norwegian High North Whitepaper: Focusing on People and Societal Development in the Arctic “The High North whitepaper is about Norwegian core interests. That is why it has been named after what matters the most in our Arctic policy: people, opportunities and Norwegian interests in the High North”, said Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide during the launch in Alta last Friday.
Increased interest in the Arctic: “The U.S. Army has made a significant pivot” There is a pivot in the U.S. Army to train and operate more in Alaska to rebuild skills, according to Major General Peter Andrysiak, commander U.S. Army Alaska. He says the U.S. Army soon will release its own Arctic strategy.
Now the Swedes Also Fear Increased Militarization of the Arctic Commentary: On Tuesday this week, the Swedish government sent a serious security policy warning to its Arctic neighbors. Sweden is seriously worried about the military development in the High North. These are new tunes from a country focusing most of its military activity in the south.
U.S. Freedom of Navigation Operation in the Arctic: "Would Be a High-Risk Gesture with Unpredictable Consequences" In an interview with High North News, Senior Fellow Paul Taylor at Friends of Europe says that much of the recent U.S. military activity in the European High North makes sense. But if the U.S. went further and staged a Freedom of Navigation operation in the region, it could trigger an escalation of tensions, he argues.
China's Ambassador: “Threat has been a must-be word for some US officials when they talk about China” “The question of whether the commercial cooperation between China and Norway, Russia and other Arctic countries constitutes a security-related issue should be answered by the countries themselves, not the US,” China's Ambassador to Norway Yi Xianliang tells High North News.
“A Stable USA is Not Only Important for NATO, but Also for Russia and China” A USA in crisis is affecting the whole world, including the northern regions and the Arctic. Professor Rasmus Gjedssø Bertelsen at the University of Tromsø tells High North News that the Arctic NATO countries will have to deal with a less predictable and less reliable United States in the future.
Putin’s Geopolitical Policy Paradox in the Arctic Domestic pressures put Arctic policy at odds with narratives of Russian national identity.
