When Generals Move Gas Cans Away From a Flaming Fire Comment (Oslo): "We cannot protect ourselves against everything," said the Norwegian Chief of Defense, Eirik Kristoffersen, providing a room full of international academics with Arctic expertise a crash course in democracy. "You can give me more power. But I don't want it."
“The US Can Become More Unpredictable on Climate Issues in the Arctic Council Than Russia” The Kingdom of Denmark’s Arctic Council chairship program form a good basis for further cooperation between the eight Arctic states. However, engaging the Trump administration in the council’s work on climate change could be particularly challenging, says FNI researcher.
"The Norwegian Government 'Greenwashes' the Norwegian Svalbard Policy" Bodø (High North News): Svalbard Researcher Tiril Vold Hansen wants her research to clarify to the Svalbard inhabitants how the government thinks and prioritizes when implementing new regulations for the archipelago. "Norwegian authorities prefer local frustration over an international Svalbard debate," she says.
New Government Body to Secure Russia's Interests in the Arctic Russian President Vladimir Putin recently established a maritime collegium to protect Russia's interests in the Arctic, among other things. He appointed his close advisor, Nikolai Patrushev, as its leader. This is mainly about giving Patrushev a formal role in Russian Arctic policy, believes a senior researcher at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute.
New Government Body to Secure Russia's Interests in the Arctic Russian President Vladimir Putin recently established a maritime collegium to protect Russia's interests in the Arctic, among other things. He appointed his close advisor, Nikolai Patrushev, as its leader. This is mainly about giving Patrushev a formal role in Russian Arctic policy, believes a senior researcher at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute.
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.
Russia’s New Svalbard Initiative: Wants to Prevent Military Activity Coalmining in Barentsburg is in a process of liquidation and Russian authorities turn their focus to research and tourism. “But Russia’s basic interest is really about preventing military activity in Svalbard”, says researcher Arild Moe.