ARCTIC: NATO Exercises & more – 30th Apr 2024

Góðan daginn from BA! This is the Rorshok Arctic Update from the 30th of April twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what’s going down North of the Arctic Circle!

The Arctic is hosting its largest-ever military training exercise, with over 24,000 NATO troops participating in warfare drills up north. Lasting until the 31st of May, the exercise focuses on moving heavy equipment into the high Arctic. According to a Swedish military statement released on Wednesday the 24th, an American military vessel delivered over 200 vehicles and 300 containers of equipment to Narvik, Norway. In the coming week, NATO troops will practice maneuvering this hardware across Scandinavia and into Finland, near the Russian border. This exercise aims to ensure smooth logistical support from the US and Canada to the European Arctic and marks NATO's first operation of its kind in the region.

If you’re interested in this massive NATO exercise, the alliance has a detailed breakdown of all the training exercises on its website. Link in the show notes!

Another Arctic nation that announced military developments this week was Denmark. On Tuesday the 23rd, Denmark's Ministry of Defence confirmed to the Canadian news outlet Radio Canada, that the country is establishing five new defense attaché positions, with two based in the Canadian and Norwegian Arctic. Defense attachés are military officers who work as military advisors and liaisons between their home country and the host nation. By positioning these attachés in the Arctic, Denmark aims to strengthen its presence across the entire region, marking the initial step in its military strategy to bolster its critical northern areas.

The border between Russia and Finland is getting its own military upgrade. The Russian government-backed newspaper Izvestia reported on Thursday the 25th that a new missile brigade is being deployed in Karelia, Northern Russia near Finland’s border. The missile brigade can launch nuclear missiles 500 kilometers, or over 300 miles. According to Sergei Shoigu, the Russian Defense Minister, this action is a direct retaliation to Finland joining NATO in twenty twenty-three.

However, Finland’s reaction wasn’t hostile. Major General Harri Ohra-aho wrote on Twitter that Russia deploying the missiles so close to Finland means they are now an easy target, but that this gesture was likely just a performative act rather than an aggression.

Russia's Arctic region plays a pivotal role in boosting the nation's economy. On Tuesday the 23rd, Andrey Chibis, the governor of the Murmansk region, confirmed to state news agency Tass that Belarusian investors have signed an agreement with Murmansk to build a marine terminal for transshipping Belarusian cargo. Arctic Gate Marine Terminal LLC, the Belarusian company behind the project, plans to transport 25 to 30 million tons of cargo annually by twenty twenty-eight via the Arctic Ocean. This agreement enhances the export capabilities of both Russia and Belarus. Governor Chibis is optimistic that the terminal will stimulate the local economy and benefit the two nations.

While Russia pushes for economic development, international sanctions continue to bite back. On Monday the 22nd, Tobias Billstrom, Sweden’s Foreign Minister, informed Reuters that Sweden backs the banning of all Russian gas imports across the EU. On Wednesday the 24th, Robert Habeck, Germany’s Vice-Chancellor, told German news agency DW News that his country also supports the bloc-wide ban. These comments have been made in anticipation of a meeting of EU foreign ministers next week to discuss a new round of sanctions against Russia. This ban on Russian gas could come into effect as soon as next week, depending on the outcome of the meeting.

In Canada, the government is already directing its recently announced funding to significant initiatives. On Tuesday the 23rd, the Canadian Armed Forces confirmed they consulted with the Tłı̨chǫ Government in Behchokǫ̀, in the Northwest Territories, to plan for twenty twenty-four wildfire preparations. The government will invest $130 million US dollars over the next five years to support Indigenous governments in wildfire recovery, mitigation, and providing housing protections. The following day, the Armed Forces announced an additional investment of over $100 million US dollars for constructing a National Defence Facility in Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territory. This major military base will support Canada's Arctic deployment and include funds to build over 1,000 new homes in the area to accommodate the expected influx of personnel.

Federal funding is helping the Alaskan Arctic too. On Tuesday the 23rd, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced a nationwide solar energy program which will fund sixty solar energy programs with over $7 billion dollars. Two of them are based in Alaska and will receive $125 million dollars in total. The programs focus on building new solar arrays and subsidizing solar energy installations in both native and non-native communities over the next five years across the state.

While children are often considered the future, the children of Greenland and Denmark reportedly face challenges in accessing their human rights. A report published on Friday the 26th by Cecilia Bailliet, the UN's independent human rights expert, found that vulnerable groups, including children and Indigenous communities in both Greenland and Denmark, struggle to fully exercise their core human rights due to slow responses from state and government institutions. Bailliet's report calls for quicker institutional responses to abuse cases and greater support for children with PTSD. Furthermore, the report suggests that the Inuit of Greenland collaborate with the Danish government to establish a truth commission to uncover and address the historical abuse of Indigenous people in Greenland by Denmark.

Denmark’s neighbor Sweden is enjoying better news this week with the Swedish Maritime Administration’s announcement made on Wednesday the 24th that the first of three expected icebreaker vessels should be ready by twenty twenty-eight. Sweden currently only operates five icebreakers with the newest built in nineteen ninety-eight. According to the Swedish Maritime Administration, they have been stressing the need for additional ice-class ships for a long time with the oldest three vessels needing replacement by twenty thirty.

Here's an update on the ongoing volcanic situation in Iceland. The Sundhnúkur volcano, which has kept the town of Grindavik evacuated since November, continues its slow eruption. Since the major eruption on the 26th of March, lava has been flowing from the crater and cooling harmlessly nearby. While the current state is calm, that may soon change. According to a report by the Icelandic Meteorological Office released on Friday the 26th, the magma chamber beneath the active volcano has been gradually refilling and has now reached a critical level of 10 million cubic meters of magma. Eruptions since twenty twenty-one have occurred when the chamber reached an average of 10 million cubic meters. Although the volcano remains quiet, the Meteorological Office warns that a large eruption could happen at any time with little warning.

Misinformation poses a significant challenge in modern times, particularly when it comes to climate change. A viral post on social media from early April said that climate change is a myth, comparing Arctic Ocean ice levels from the 8th of January two thousand four, and twenty twenty-four, and asserting that there was more ice in twenty twenty-four than two decades earlier. However, a Reuters fact-check on Wednesday the 25th refuted this misleading statement, pointing out that the post selectively used a single day of data. In reality, Arctic sea ice levels have been accurately measured every day since nineteen seventy-nine, revealing a consistent decline over this period. This serves as a reminder to critically assess any questionable statements and recognize that climate change is a real and urgent issue.

To end the show, think of an arctic fox. If you have ever seen how one of these creatures hunts, you’ll remember the iconic hop and face-first dive into the snow. While adorable, the exact reason for this technique has been a mystery until now. According to a report published on Monday the 29th by Harvard University, by diving into the snow with their long snout, the foxes drill into the snow and penetrate it to both reach their food and break any hard bits before their faces hit the ground. The technique is so powerful that it makes even a hard layer of ice and snow move apart as if it were water.

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

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