Ukraine Crisis has Ripple Effects in the High North

No sooner have we lifted our gaze in the direction of a Corona-free horizon, the following disaster is able to strike. The Excessive North lies distant from Ukraine, but as we border on Russia, the disaster is tangibly felt right here too.

Proper now, Russia’s Northern Fleet participates in a bigger Russian marine train going down each within the Barents Sea in addition to the world’s oceans.

“The Fleet’s exercises open up for rare insights into Russian calculations of Russian calculations of the future trajectory of the Ukraine conflict”, argues Researcher Ina Holst-Pedersen Kvam on the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy.

Dialogue and preparations

Researchers Jeremy Greenwood on the Brookings Establishment in Washington D.C. fears that dialogue between the events won’t achieve success:

“While dialogue with one’s strategic rivals (and enemies) remains a vital diplomatic tool, it is unclear that any new military security dialogue with Russia in the Arctic would advance the cause of peace or deconflict any military activity in the region”, he writes in an op-ed.

Our Editor-in-Chief Arne O. Holm also writes about the Ukraine crisis in his Friday commentary this week. The week after PM Jonas Gahr Støre’s visit to the White House, the editor-in-chief argues that his next trip should go to Finnmark.

“In any case, it’s within the north that we share border with Russia”, Holm writes.

And subsequent 12 months, Norway takes over chairmanship of the Arctic Council from Russia.

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already started preparing to take over the chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2023, having held its first out of some 60 input meetings.

NSR and hydrogen at sea

The Northeast Passage noticed heavy site visitors final 12 months. In 2021, almost 35 million tons of cargo were shipped along the Northern Sea Route. There was additionally record-high transit site visitors alongside the NSR.

And there are green news from the public transport sector in Northern Norway. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration and Torghatten Nord have signed an agreement about Norway’s first full-scale hydrogen ferries.

Arctic cultural heritage

Denmark’s Ministry of Tradition experiences that the Danish National Museum will transfer ownership of a unique Sami drum to the indigenous RiddoDuottar Museat in Karasjok, Norway.

Danish and Greenlandic MP Aaja Chemnitz Larsen argues that this is an important step in recognizing the cultural heritage of the Arctic countries.

And a few comfortable information on the finish, regardless that the pandemic in addition to the Ukraine disaster are certain to be talked about right here too:

Not only will there be a Kirkenes Conference in 2022, it will also be an in-person conference in Kirkenes on 23 and 24 February.

Maybe we’ll see you in Kirkenes, Corona keen!

All that is still now could be to want you all the perfect for the weekend, the ultimate one in January. Thanks for following us!
Trine Jonassen,
Information Editor, Excessive North Information