Newsletter New Alliances
Norwegian conscripts assigned to Trondenes camp outside Harstad, southern Troms, train on combat techniques in the forest during Joint Viking 2025. (Photo: Nora Steenberg/the Norwegian Armed Forces)
Dear reader. We have woken up to different news stories every day. News stories become obsolete at a record-breaking pace and are dominated by Trump's unmanageable antics. Now, the Nordics are working to stabilize the situation. Here is, hopefully, the latest news from the North.
Let's take a deep breath and brace ourselves because US President Donald Trump is in no way planning to let go of the idea of Greenland as a US state.
Tuesday, he said that the United States would take control of Greenland “one way or the other,” making it clear that he is not planning on letting go of the self-governing Danish territory.
And while Trump sows discord, Europe is coming together.
“To fill the leadership vacuum left by the US, the leaders of the Nordic countries and some Europeans are standing tall,” tells a US Army veteran and historian.
“There is no country in the world better placed to strengthen these interlinkages than the UK,” says Dr. Dwayne Ryan Menesez in an op-ed ahead of Trump's speech.
And it is clear that Europe is doing precisely that, because ministerial meetings in Northern Norway have been frequent this year. The Norwegian fisheries minister visited the region last week, the Norwegian and British MFAs recently visited Bodø, and so did the public security minister.
On Tuesday, Norway's MoD Espen Barth Eide invited his Estonian colleague Margus Tsahkna to a bilateral meeting in the North. (Norwegian only)
Journalist Hilde Bye met with the ministers, and Barth Eide emphasized the importance of connecting the US to the Norwegian way of thinking about the Arctic.
Climate and gas
What hasn't changed is the fact that glaciers keep withdrawing across the globe.
And not only is the EU importing record levels of liquefied natural gas from Russia, but it is also paying a substantially higher price than before the Ukraine War, new Eurostat data reveal.
Fisheries and defense
Together with journalist Bye, commentator Arne O. Holm visited one of Norway's most important fisheries municipalities.
And as always, most issues in the north revolve around security policy. Even fisheries.
“If you're thinking that fish and fisheries do not matter in the big picture, you're wrong,” Holm states in his comment.
Also, read about this year's largest military exercise in Norway, with its main activities in the North, which kicked off on Monday.
Next week, elections are held in Greenland, and we are naturally covering it. We also continue keeping a watchful eye on the West's dependence on Russian gas, so stay tuned.
Arctic greetings from Editor-in-Chief Trine Jonassen