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

28 620 av totalt 40 369 stemmeberettigede deltok i valget til Grønlands parlament Inatsisartut 11. mars 2025. Stemmeprosenten er på 70,9 prosent – en økning på 5 prosent siden 2021-valget. (Foto: Mads Schmidt Rasmussen/norden.org)

The Kingdom of Denmark's Upcoming Arctic Council Chairship: Indigenous and Arctic People at the Top of the Agenda

The Kingdom of Denmark takes over the chairship of the Arctic Council next month. "We will work diligently to keep the council vibrant and resilient, first and foremost for the Indigenous Peoples and inhabitants of the Arctic," states the realm, with Greenland at the forefront.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

They Make a Living Giving Saving Tips to People Who Barely Have a Dollar to Spare

Comment: In the middle of the Donald Trump-created chaos, even privileged problems get their time in the spotlight. The news columns are filled with financial advisors giving investment tips to people without a dollar to spare. An American madness threatens the finance world but simultaneously shadows the nearly immeasurable problems that are not listed on the stock exchange.

Notices

ARCTIC LIVING / 11.04.2025

The 56th Northernmost Classical Music Festival Opens

Organized for the 56th time, the northernmost classical music festival in…

POLITICS / 10.04.2025

Denmark Presents the Arctic Council Chairship Program

In May, the Kingdom of Denmark will take on the Arctic Council Chairship…

Science / 10.04.2025

2025 Winter Maximum Sea Ice Extent in Arctic Smallest on Record

The National Snow and Ice Data Center reports that Arctic sea ice appeared…

Science / 09.04.2025

“Arctic” Selected as 2025-26 National High School Policy Debate Topic

The NFHS has announced the selection of “Arctic” as the National High…

Foto: Emil Nordin/Skogsindustrierna

Challenging Situation for the Swedish Forest Industry

The combination of high costs and low demand is hitting Swedish sawmills, pulp, and paper producers hard. Increased trade barriers are also creating uncertainty for the industry.

Tok imot delegasjon fra Det hvite hus for to uker siden: Som daværende sjef for Pituffik rombase i Grønland, var oberst Susannah Meyers vertskap for besøket fra USAs visepresident J.D. Vance ved basen 28. mars. Med i hans følge var andredame Usha Vance, USAs nasjonale sikkerhetsrådgiver Mike Waltz og energiminister Chris Wright. (Foto: Jaime Sanchez/USAs romstyrker)

Head of US Military Base in Greenland Fired with Reference to Partisan Behaviour

Colonel Susannah Meyers was recently removed as commander of the US Pituffik Space Base in Greenland. “Actions to undermine the chain of command or to subvert President Trump's agenda will not be tolerated at the Department of Defense,” said chief Pentagon spokesperson.

Research Institute Wilson Center Shuts Down After Executive Order

The Trump administration's attack on research and education has claimed another victim, the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. The nonpartisan foreign policy think tank is home to the Polar Institute, a leading forum for discussion and policy analysis of Arctic and Antarctic issues.

High North News investigates: The Russian Gas Flow

Russia Continues Working on Sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 With Wison Power Modules Installation and Gas Flaring

New satellite images reveal the progress Novatek has made at the Arctic LNG 2 project…

Also see

Russia’s Novatek Eyes India as Market for Sanctioned Arctic LNG

EU Fails to Act on Russian LNG As Some Member States Discuss Restart of Gas Imports After War

Germany Can’t Shake Russian Gas: LNG Purchases from Arctic Yamal Project Skyrocket

How Russia’s Security Service FSB Gained Control Over the Yamal LNG Fleet Reportedly Setting Up Covert Cargo Operations

A targeted operation by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) successfully pushed…

EU Ukraine sanctions

EU Paid Near 300% More for Russian LNG in 2024 Compared to Early 2021

Not only is the EU importing record levels of LNG from Russia, it is also paying a…

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

EU Countries Spent Close to €7bn on Russian LNG in 2024

Europe cannot shake its addiction to Russian liquefied natural gas. Throughout 2024…

Et norsk F-35 jagerfly på Island i vinter for å løse Nato-oppdraget Iceland Air Policing. (Foto: Ole Andreas Vekve/Forsvaret)

The High North and the F-35 Lightning II

Op-ed: Norway recently received the last of the 52 F-35 fighter jets ordered from the US. In this op-ed, US Army Veteran and Historian Mike Thornton provides an overview of the fighter jet and its capabilities in the defense of the High North.

Mads Quist Fredriksen og Patti Bruns

Arctic Economic Council and Arctic Mayors’ Forum Welcomes the New Chairship Programme From the Kingdom of Denmark

As the voice of the Arctic’s private sector, and principal organisation uniting municipalities across the high north, the Arctic Economic Council (AEC) and Arctic Mayor’s Forum (AMF), respectively welcome the alignment in strategic priorities.

Sara Olsvig

ICC Welcomes Strong Emphasis on Indigenous Peoples in Arctic Council Chairship Programme

The Inuit Circumpolar Council supports the strong and important aspirations of the incoming Chairship to “keep the Arctic Council vibrant and resilient, first and foremost for the Indigenous Peoples, and for the Arctic to remain a region of stability and constructive cooperation”.

The One Ocean Expedition Is About to Kick Off

On Friday, the sailing ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl embarks on a 12-month voyage called One Ocean Expedition. In August and September, the ship will sail through the Northwest Passage, with researchers and students from UiT, the Arctic University of Norway, on board.

US Government Investigates Strategic Importance of Northern Sea Route as Part of Study on Maritime Chokepoints

The U.S. government’s Federal Maritime Commission has initiated an investigation of global maritime chokepoints. In addition to more traditional passages like the Suez Canal, it has also included the Arctic’s Northern Sea Route in the upcoming study.

Arctic Guardian 2025 er rednings- og beredskapsøvelse i regi av Arktisk kystvaktforum, en uavhengig, uformell og operativ samarbeidsorganisasjon. Under øvingen skal norske kystvaktfartøy som KV Bison (på bildet) og beredskapsaktører øve på samvirke med kystvaktressurser fra Canada, Danmark, Finland, Island, Sverige og USA. (Foto: Johannes Bærhaugen/Forsvaret)

Arctic Guardian 2025: Multilateral Exercise on Maritime Emergency Response off Northern Norway

The exercise, which gathers coast guard resources from the seven Western Arctic states, is underway. "In a changing Arctic, it is crucial that we train together, build trust, and understand each other's capabilities," says the Commander of Norway's Coast Guard.

US Policies in the Arctic Are Changing but the Extent Remains to Be Seen

Op-Ed: The Arctic States will need to have some patience as various American policies become clearer. And in the meantime, they can task their diplomats with expressing to the U.S. their thoughts on some of these topics in the hope of influencing the formulation of U.S. positions, writes Evan Bloom at the Centre for the Ocean and the Arctic, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway in this op-ed.

Danmarks statsminister Mette Frederiksen (S) til stede i Grønland forrige uke for å forsterke dansk-grønlandsk samarbeid i ei stormfull tid. (Foto: Emil Stach/Danmarks statsministerium)

Denmark’s PM Stands Up to Trump’s USA and for Arctic Security

"When you demand to take over a part of the Kingdom of Denmark’s territory. When we are met by pressure and threats from our closest ally. What are we to believe about the country we have admired for so many years?" the Danish PM Mette Frederiksen, recently visiting Greenland, pointed out to the US Trump administration.

Arne O. Holm says

Arne O. Holm

No One Can Trust the US Anymore

Comment: "They have ripped us off," wailed Donald Trump, pointing to Jan Mayen, an icy islet in the Barents Sea. Together with war-ridden and dirt-poor countries, often bombed to pieces by the US, Jan Mayen represents a serious and destructive threat against the US economy, according to Donald Trump.

Looking Back on Norway's Chairship of The Arctic Council: "You Have to Be Respectful to All Members"

Bodø (High North News): Chair of the Arctic Council, Morten Høglund, reflects on the two years that have passed and Norway taking over the chairship from a Russia at war. "It was intense, like being inside a tumble dryer. But very rewarding". And the most important task: Keeping the council alive as Denmark takes over as chair in May.

Our High North Neighbor, Iceland

The Battle of the Atlantic would never have been won without the support of the people of Iceland, writes US Army Veteran Mike Thornton in this op-ed. He takes a historical look at Iceland and its strategic position.

Laks- og ørret får lavere eksportavgift fra 1. januar 2016. (Foto: Johan Wildhagen/Norges Sjømatråd)

Trumps New Tariffs: Could Be Challenging for Parts of the Norwegian Seafood Industry

"Despite good export numbers, we are now facing an uncertain time for the world trade with increased tariffs," says the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy, Marianne Sivertsen Næss, about the situation in the seafood industry.

General Eirik Kristoffersen

Norwegian CHOD: New NATO Air Operations Centre Should be Located in Northern Norway

Reitan outside Bodø, Northern Norway, is the best suited location for NATO's third Combined Air Operations Centre, believes the Norwegian Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen. This is revealed in a document that NRK claims to have been given insight into.

Russia Continues Working on Sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 With Wison Power Modules Installation and Gas Flaring

New satellite images reveal the progress Novatek has made at the Arctic LNG 2 project. Power units delivered by Chinese company Wison appear installed and recent gas flaring suggest a temporary re-start or test start-up of the facility.