High North News - News, analysis and debate about politics and business in the North

The Kingdom of Denmark's Chairship of the Arctic Council: "Unifying"

Nuuk, Grønland (High North News): In May, the Kingdom of Denmark took over the chairship of the Arctic Council, spearheaded by Greenland. “Greenland’s leading role in the council has been a unifying force within the kingdom,” says Kenneth Høegh, Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, to High North News.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

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.

Fra venstre: Sveriges forsvarssjef Michael Claesson; Islands forsvarssjef Jónas Allansson; Finlands forsvarssjef Janne Jaakkola; Danmarks forsvarsminister Troels Poulsen; Finlands forsvarsminister Antti Häkkänen, Islands utenriksminister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir; Norges forsvarsminister Tore O. Sandvik; Sveriges forsvarsminister Pål Jonson; Norges forsvarssjef Eirik Kristoffersen; samt Danmarks forsvarssjef Michael Wiggers Hyldgaard. (Foto: Asgeir Spange Brekke/Forsvarsdepartementet)

Nordic Defense Ministers and Chiefs of Defense Gathered to Enhance Joint Combat Power

All Nordic defense ministers and chiefs of defense recently met in Helsinki. A key topic was the development of air forces capable of combined operations. “This is important for strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense in the High North,” says Antti Häkkänen, Finnish Minister of Defense.

Notices

SCIENCE / 09.11.2025

Russian Geographical Society Opens Office in Svalbard

The Russian Geographical Society opened its new office in Barentsburg on…

SCIENCE / 09.11.2025

Nunavik Permanently Moves to Daylight Time

This year, the Canadian region of Nunavik wound its clock for the last…

POLITICS / 03.11.2025

Russia Boosts Nuclear Fleet With Launch of Khabarovsk Submarine

Russia has officially launched its new nuclear-powered submarine, the&nbsp…

POLITICS / 29.10.2025

Indian Company Wants to Transship LNG at Svalbard

Earlier this fall, Svalbardposten reported that a company of unknown…

Britain to Ban Transport of Russian LNG on UK-linked Vessels

The UK continues to lead the way against Russia’s LNG sector. New measures will directly target the transport of Russian supercooled gas to markets around the world. The ban will disallow UK-linked companies from carrying the country’s gas or providing maritime services to the vessels.

Homelessness in Greenland: Broken Collectivism in Action

Nuuk, Greenland (High North News): Homelessness is an increasing problem in the Arctic, also in Greenland, where about 1% of the country's population is homeless. Professor Steven Arnfjord's suggested counter-measure to social problems is not more science, but more action and activism.

High North News Presents: The Arctic Circle Podcast - This Way Up!

The Arctic On Fire

The Arctic isn’t just warming, it’s on fire. From the record-shattering 2023 wildfire…

Anja Salo

The Arctic Council Launches New Podcast: “We Want to Bring the Arctic to the World”

In the following months, High North News will publish the Arctic Council's new…

Welcome to This Way Up

Welcome to This Way Up, the new Arctic Council podcast. In this introductory episode…

The Arctic On Fire

The Arctic isn’t just warming, it’s on fire. From the record-shattering 2023 wildfire season in Canada to the zombie fires smoldering beneath the boreal forests, Arctic wildfires are reshaping landscapes, threatening communities and accelerating global climate change. The Arctic Council's podcast This Way Up takes a closer look at wildfires.

Researchers From 20 Countries Meet in Greenland: “Shows That Research in Greenland Is of Great Importance”

Nuuk, Greenland (High North News): This week, almost 400 researchers from 20 countries have gathered in Nuuk for the Greenland Science Conference. "We must find a way to utilize this increased attention in Greenland for something constructive and meaningful," says Head of Secretariat at Arctic Hub, Avijâja Rosing-Olsen.

Sjefer og sjefsersjanter for Nordkalottens brigader og heimevernsstyrker ved Akkasæter leir i indre Troms tidligere denne uka. Deres samling gikk over tre dager. (Foto: Forsvaret)

Northern Nordic Military Leaders Gathered to Bolster Cooperation

The commanders of Norway, Finland and Sweden's northern brigades and home guard forces recently met in Troms, Northern Norway, to forge even closer ties. “This cooperation significantly improves our defense capabilities in the North,” says Terje Bruøygard, Commander of the Norwegian Brigade North.

Sveinsdottir, Kaltenborn, Hovelsrud, Lebel

Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in Svalbard – More Work is Needed in The Tourism Sector

Op-Ed: In response to rapid climatic and environmental changes, sustainability has become an important topic for the tourism sector in Svalbard. Yet, there is room for tourism operators to engage further with the sustainable development goals (SDG) framework.

Höegh Esperanza floating LNG import ship at Germany’s Wilhelmshaven LNG terminal.

Germany Signals Green Light to Exit Yamal LNG Deal Under EU’s 19th Sanctions Package

Germany may invoke “force majeure” to exit Yamal LNG deal. The EU’s 19th sanctions package provides state-owned SEFE legal cover to exit the Russian LNG contract, Germany says. The news is the first concrete step of long-term purchase agreements being unwound.

Kazakov og Sæther

NOK 2.6 million Project Aims to Get More Young People to Stay in The North

The High North Center at Nord University receives support for a project highlighting opportunities for young people in the Arctic.

An LNG carrier of the Norwegian coast in winter Source: Courtesy of Torbein Rønning on Flickr.com under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 // LNG-lasteskip ved norskekysten vinterstid. (Foto: Torbein Rønning/Flickr)

Russia’s LNG ‘Dark Fleet’ Returns to Norwegian Waters As Winter Closes Northern Sea Route

With sea ice closing the Northern Sea Route often poorly insured shadow fleet vessels are again using the ice-free waters of the Barents Sea. A sanctioned LNG carrier traveled up and down Norway’s northern coast in recent days.

Arne O. Holm

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.

Welcome to This Way Up

Welcome to This Way Up, the new Arctic Council podcast. In this introductory episode, hosts Jessica Cook and Rosa-Máren Magga set the stage for the season ahead.

Shay Gal

Greenland is Not a Danish Domestic Issue - It is Europe’s Next Sovereignty Test

Op-Ed: Washington has stopped joking about "buying" the world’s largest island and is building leverage the slow way - through diplomacy, money, bases, and narrative - while insisting it will "get Greenland one way or the other" and promising to "make you rich".

Marianne Sivertsen Næss

Norwegian Minister of Fisheries: “Fisheries Negotiations With Russia Are Demanding”

Bodø, Northern Norway (High North News): After Norway's introduction of EU sanctions against two Russian shipping companies, the Norwegian-Russian fisheries negotiations have come to a halt after 50 years of cooperation. "It is demanding," says Minister of Fisheries, Marianne Sivertsen Næss (Labor). The parties are now working toward a meeting in the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission.

Anja Salo

The Arctic Council Launches New Podcast: “We Want to Bring the Arctic to the World”

In the following months, High North News will publish the Arctic Council's new podcast, This Way Up. The Head of Communications for the Arctic Council, Anja Salo, says she hopes the podcast will showcase that the Arctic people have many of the answers to the region's issues.

Fra JEF-møte i Bodø

Summit in the North: Agreed on Enhanced Partnership with Ukraine

Bodø (High North News): Eleven defense ministers met in Bodø, Northern Norway, this week to discuss cooperation in the Joint Expeditionary Force coalition. There, the countries signed an agreement on an enhanced partnership with Ukraine.