ARCTIC: EU to End Russian Gas Imports & more – 24th June 2025

Hei from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Arctic Update from the 24th of June twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what’s going down North of the Arctic Circle!

Russia’s energy industry is currently heavily influencing the economic future of the Arctic, but the Russian gas industry will soon be losing its biggest customer, the EU. On Wednesday the 18th, the European Commission published its phase-out proposal to end the EU’s purchasing of Russian energy. Under the plan, the EU will fulfill its current contracts with Russia, which last until the end of twenty twenty-seven, but not renew them.

With the majority of gas imports coming from the Russian Arctic, Russia’s economic plans to expand its energy industry across the north may be taking a serious hit.

However, Russia will be glad that its Arctic shipping industry shows no signs of slowing. On Wednesday the 18th, Rosatom, the Russian nuclear energy corporation, announced it is partnering with the Chinese shipping company, New New Shipping, to finance and build five new nuclear-powered icebreakers. These ships should allow the shipping industry in Russia to operate even in the thickest ice conditions.

The nation currently operates four ice-class shipping vessels and has three under construction. If this new plan proceeds then Russia will have a fleet of twelve icebreaking shipping container vessels, and the Arctic Ocean will see year-round shipping from Europe to Asia.

The US is also making moves in the Arctic industry game. Recall that in our previous show, we reported on Trump’s opening up of a protected area in Alaska for oil drilling. This week, on Tuesday the 17th, the Trump administration announced its plans to open up about 7 million more acres, almost 30,000 square kilometers, of the protected North Slope region to oil drilling. If all of Trump’s current drilling plans move forward as planned, over eighty percent of the protected North Slope will be opened up to oil development.

This plan was attempted under Trump’s first term as President, but wasn’t voted through. If his second attempt is successful, the Alaskan Arctic could face a sudden and massive environmental change.

Trump’s Arctic ambitions go beyond Alaska though, with Greenland still in his sights. On Tuesday the 17th, the Pentagon announced it has redrawn its global military jurisdictions. The biggest change came when Greenland was moved from the U.S. European Command to the U.S. Northern Command, the military command unit designated to protect the U.S. homeland.

The Pentagon’s statement asserted that this move is meant to highlight how important Greenland’s defence is to the US, and not the first step toward annexing the country. However, Greenland can now expect an increased presence of the US military, as the future of the island nation becomes increasingly uncertain.

The growing instability around Greenland has the Danish government concerned. On Tuesday the 17th, the government heads of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Denmark gathered for their biannual meeting in the Faroese capital of Tórshavn. Mette Frederiksen, the Prime Minister of Denmark, spoke of the need to combat the US’ attempts to control Greenland, and committed to investing a record amount of funding into the Arctic island while also granting it greater authority over its own foreign policy affairs.

The Faroe Islands want some of this special treatment from their Danish rulers, with Aksel Johannesen, the Faroese Prime Minister, declaring that his nation deserves to manage its own foreign affairs and conduct its own trade agreements. It remains to be seen whether Denmark allows both of its constituent states to move toward a new level of independence.

Greenland is already making valuable deals of its own in its mining industry. On Thursday the 19th, the Greenlandic government announced it has granted a mining permit to Greenland Resources A/S to mine metals near Mestersvig in the country’s remote northeast. The mine is expected to have a lifespan of twenty years and contribute about $1 billion US dollars to the Greenlandic economy through tax alone, with jobs, trade and other local businesses all expected to benefit too.

Naaja Nathanielsen, Greenland’s Business Minister, has called the project the most ambitious in the country in many years, as the far frozen north is tapped for its potential mineral wealth.

Over in Northern Norway, there are preparations for a military boost that could bring long-awaited infrastructure. On Friday the 20th, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced that Norway will increase military spending by over $5 billion US dollars annually to meet new NATO requirements.

The city of Alta, the northernmost in the world, hopes to benefit from the move, as Bente Haug, the leader of Alta’s Labour Party, told broadcaster NRK on the announcement day that since Alta is near the Russian border, any Arctic conflict could reach them. She said the military buildup may finally bring an emergency hospital and other healthcare services she’s long advocated for.

With more troops expected in the north, local leaders hope the defence spending will also strengthen civilian services in Norway’s far north.

On the environmental front, there’s both good and bad news, all because of peatlands. On Thursday the 19th, an international team of scientists published a study in the journal of Communications Earth & Environment on how plant life in the Arctic is changing. They found that as Arctic ice shrinks and temperatures warm, peatlands grow faster than expected.

On the bright side, these peatlands are a carbon sink, absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and helping to combat climate change. On the other hand, as peatlands grow, they release methane gas, a much stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Peatlands are also at risk from wildfires, which could cause sudden environmental damage.

The Arctic is adapting to climate change as best as it can, but the results are always complicated.

To study Arctic science properly, you need to blend Indigenous knowledge with traditional science. That’s according to officials at the Yukon University in Canada, who on Friday the 20th held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new almost $40 million US dollars science building. The officials spoke to the national broadcaster, CBC, saying this facility will include Indigenous communities more than ever before. There are spaces for cultural practices and exchanges alongside state-of-the-art labs, as researchers look to bring the north together as they work to protect it.

Canada’s ability to study the Arctic has just got a huge boost. On Tuesday the 17th, Western University announced that its unique system of satellite-tracking cameras has just completed its first full year of high Arctic observations. This project, a collaboration between Western University and the Canadian Defence Research Department, has used low-cost cameras in the Nunavut region to provide Canada with year-round satellite observations of the High Arctic for the first time ever.

The success of the program has led Defence Canada to plan to expand the project across the rest of the Canadian Arctic over the next two years, as the far north becomes the newest space race.

And to close this edition, some food news. On Monday the 17th, new agency High North News reported that Nord University’s High North Center and the University of Saskatchewan have launched a feasibility study to explore food innovation across the Arctic. The project seeks to develop sustainable local food production, branding, and distribution in areas of the Arctic struggling to export their unique foods.

One proposal is the creation of a Made in Arctic label to raise awareness of regional food products and support cooperation across borders. With food insecurity common in northern Canada and Norway, the project hopes to boost food sovereignty and create jobs.

An example of this innovation is Lofoten Seaweed, which harvests sea lettuce in extreme conditions to produce sustainable food from Arctic waters.

To explore the kinds of food that might be coming to a store near you soon, take a look at the link in the show notes

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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