ARCTIC: US Spies in Greenland & more – 13th May 2025

Góðan daginn from Keswick Village! This is the Rorshok Arctic Update from the 13th of May twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what’s going down North of the Arctic Circle!

A new era has dawned in the Arctic. On Monday the 12th, the chairmanship of the Arctic Council officially passed from Norway to Denmark in a meeting held in the Norwegian Arctic city of Tromso, according to a press release published by the Council. At the meeting, the eight permanent Arctic states and six Indigenous representative groups all affirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the Arctic.

Denmark has already outlined its priorities for the Arctic over the next two years, with Indigenous people’s welfare being the highest priority on their list alongside economic development, sustainable energy, and biodiversity.

To see the details of Denmark’s plans for the Arctic, take a look at the link in the show notes.

On another note, international tensions in the Arctic reached a new high this week. On Tuesday the 6th, The Wall Street Journal reported that US officials have ordered spy agencies to gather intelligence on Greenland. Through documents obtained from the Office of the Director of Intelligence, the Journal revealed that American spy agencies are working to gather information on Greenland’s independence movement, perceptions about US interest in the island, and to identify people who back Trump’s desire to take control of the country.

Denmark immediately responded with criticism, with Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Danish Foreign Minister, summoning the US Ambassador and saying that friends do not spy on each other.

This isn’t the only change in US-Greenland tensions. On Friday the 9th, Reuters reported that US government officials are proposing to lure Greenland into the American sphere of influence by granting the nation a special Compact of Free Association, or COFA status. The details of the status vary in each territory but generally, the US government will provide essential public services and in exchange, its military will operate freely within the nation.

While the COFA nation remains independent, it cedes significant authority to the US, and Greenland would be required to gain independence from Denmark before signing such an agreement. Reuters contacted both the US and Danish governments for a response but neither has commented on yet another complication between the two nations.

The US might have a keen eye on the Greenlandic Arctic, but it can’t even observe its own Arctic properly. On Tuesday the 6th, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, announced that their program, which has for decades monitored and tracked sea ice in Alaska, has been defunded by the US Government.

This decision has come at a time when the Arctic is suffering historic low sea ice levels. This marks a significant blow to climate research in the Arctic, for residents in Alaska who rely on critical ice maps to navigate their homelands, and especially for marine activity that needs to avoid collisions with sea ice in the far north.

To know more, check out the Rorshok Ocean Update! Link in the show notes.

In contrast, the UK government is investing in Arctic research. British newspaper, The Times, reported on Thursday the 8th that the UK government is set to invest over $13 million US dollars in research to explore whether Arctic sea ice can be artificially thickened. Scientists from both the UK and the US have created a project which involves pumping sea water onto existing sea ice during the winter, in the hope that it thickens and has a greater chance of surviving the summer.

Initial trials are beginning this winter in Canada and are set to run over the next three years. If successful, the experiment will be expanded to cover larger areas and could prove a valuable tool for protecting sea ice as the Arctic warms.

Navigating the Arctic seas is important to countries across the world. On Thursday the 8th, Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President, held a joint press conference with Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, where he stated that Russia and China have made significant progress related to the development and commercial use of the Northern Sea Route, the shipping lane covering Russia’s north coast. He noted that goods shipped via the Arctic have been increasing year to year and that the two nations are dedicated to preserving peace and stability in the Arctic.

Russia’s growing power in the Arctic is worrying its neighbours, with Norway presenting a new security strategy on Thursday the 8th. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre presented a comprehensive plan aimed at bolstering both military and civil preparedness in response to threats in the north. The strategy includes significant investments in defense capabilities and emphasizes the importance of societal resilience.

Støre highlighted the need for Norway to be prepared for worst-case scenarios, showing that the prospect of conflict in the Arctic continues to grow.

Let’s go over to Canada, where the annual wildfire season has begun. Currently, there are no active fires, but officials have emphasized that human-caused fires are the primary concern in May. The NorthWest Territory fire department announced on Wednesday the 7th that wildfire danger in the Dehcho region is expected to escalate to high within days.

The agency warned that high winds could increase fire risks, facilitating new fire starts and rapid growth. They urged residents to avoid igniting fires in high or extreme danger areas for recreational purposes, and told them only to light fires if it’s absolutely necessary, that is, for food or warmth.

The annual fire season in Canada’s Arctic is a regular issue, and firefighters in the Yukon are asking for better health protections. On Wednesday the 7th, national news agency, CBC News, reported that wildland firefighter Mike Smith is urging the Yukon government to expand cancer coverage for those battling wildfires. Currently, only certain types of cancer are covered under the territory's presumptive legislation.

Smith argues that the list should include more cancers linked to smoke and chemical exposure common in wildland firefighting. He emphasizes that the nature of wildland firefighting exposes him to different risks compared to regular firefighting. The Yukon government has acknowledged the concerns and stated that it is reviewing the current legislation to consider potential amendments.

In good news from the Canadian Arctic, the end to homelessness is in sight for the Yukon’s largest city. On Thursday the 8th, CBC news reported that the national government has allocated about $3 million US dollars to the Safe at Home Society, which is trying to combat homelessness in Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon.

The Society conducted a survey of Whitehorse’s homeless population last year and found that the majority became homeless when under twenty years old. Following these findings, the Society is using the funding to target the prevention of youth homelessness. They hope that if they stop citizens from entering the destructive cycle of homelessness, they can end it altogether.

In sports news, on Thursday the 8th football fans across the Arctic were keenly watching the match between Norway’s northern Bodo Glimt and Tottenham Hotspur of England in the semi-final of the Europa League. The northern fairytale came to an end though, with Tottenham travelling to the Arctic circle and walking away with a two-nil victory to advance to the final.

Bodo broke Norwegian records to be the only Norwegian team to make the semi-final of a continental football competition, but the team will need to wait until next year to see if they can be the first Arctic football team to win a major competition.

Football fans in Iceland had something to celebrate though. On Thursday the 8th, the Icelandic newspaper, RUV, wrote that the Grindavík football team will be allowed to return to their home stadium after eighteen months of forced relocation due to the town’s volcanic activity since November twenty twenty-three. The stadium, Stakkavíkurvöllur, was declared safe for sporting activity during a meeting of local and national football authorities, the police, fire brigade, and geologists.

The team was quick to take advantage of this ruling and on Saturday the 10th, played at home against Fjölnir. Though Grindavik couldn’t secure a win, drawing three-three, the team can finally say Home Sweet Home.

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

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