The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 19 January, 2026

NATO and US Agree on Framework for Arctic Security

As reported by Reuters on January 22, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that US President Donald Trump has agreed to a framework deal on Greenland that would require NATO allies to strengthen Arctic security. NATO commanders will work through the details, and specific negotiations about Greenland will continue between the US, Danish, and Greenlandic governments. The framework follows President Trump’s decision not to use force against the island and to drop the threat of additional tariffs on some European allies. (Reuters)

Take 1: The new NATO framework on Arctic security is welcome news, signaling a calming of tensions over the crisis prompted by President Trump’s ambitions to acquire Greenland. While strengthening NATO’s focus on the Arctic region is critical, these latest developments also demonstrate that the US’ aggressive approach towards Greenland was unnecessary. It is true that Greenland is strategically important for the US’ national security, and that Russia and China have increased their interest and activity in the Arctic region in recent years. However, Russian forces in the Arctic primarily operate near the Kola Peninsula and around Northern Norway, where they can protect their strategic nuclear weapons and deter the growing NATO attention in the area. Meanwhile, Chinese vessels going into Arctic waters typically sail near Alaska, not around Greenland. Nevertheless, if the administration’s aim was to strengthen the security of Greenland and protect the territory against emerging threats in the region, there was never a need to seize control of the island to accomplish these goals. As the new framework demonstrates, being allies, the US can work constructively with Greenland, Denmark, and other partners to address its security concerns. President Trump’s efforts may result in NATO being even more active in the Arctic, but in the process, it has also severely strained relations within the alliance, damaging the US’ credibility and undermining deterrence. (BBC, CSIS, High North News, The Arctic Institute)

World’s Northernmost Zero Emission Car Ferry Enters Service in Norway

As reported by The Barents Observers on January 17, Norwegian ferry operator Torghatten has debuted a new battery-powered car ferry to service the route between the islands of Kvaløya and Seiland in Finnmark, making it the world’s northernmost fully electric car ferry. The vessel, named the M/F Vargsund, has the capacity to carry 28 cars and 98 passengers. Torghatten already introduced a zero-emission ferry last summer to service the most trafficked connection in Northern Norway between Bognes and Lødingen, and another fully battery-powered ferry will be launched on the route between Nyvoll and Korsfjorden around April 1. (Barents Observer)

Take 2: The launch of the northernmost fully electric car ferry is a significant achievement in innovation and illustrates the potential for clean energy projects in the Arctic. Across the region, many Arctic communities depend on diesel as their primary source of fuel, using it for electricity, heating, and transportation. However, using diesel is increasingly risky and can have negative consequences for the region’s people and environment. Diesel generators and engines often produce harmful emissions, including black carbon or soot. This pollutant is not only a danger to air quality and human health, but it also accelerates Arctic warming by darkening the surface of snow and ice. Moreover, the heavy reliance on diesel also creates vulnerabilities due to the costly and challenging logistics of transporting fuel to remote Arctic areas, often via sea or air. For instance, in 2011, unexpected sea ice blocked a fuel barge from reaching Nome, Alaska, which could have resulted in the community running out of fuel during the winter. Although an emergency resupply by a Russian tanker prevented a fuel shortage, the incident further highlights the risks of diesel dependence. In recent years, several communities have begun experimenting with a variety of clean energy projects. The new ferry in the north expands this progress to the transportation sector and demonstrates that green technologies can work in the coldest and toughest conditions. (Arctic Council, Belfer Center, The Arctic Institute, World Wildlife Fund)

Blocked Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Sails Into Arctic

As reported by High North News on January 19, the Russian oil tanker Tavian, which was blocked by the German Federal Police from entering their territorial waters, has since sailed along the Norwegian coast and into the Arctic, heading towards Murmansk. The 27-year-old vessel does not exist in official shipping databases and was prohibited from entry after authorities identified forged registration documents and a suspicious flag, indicating that the ship is part of Russia’s shadow fleet. The intervention marked the first time a European nation has blocked a member of Russia’s shadow fleet from passage. (High North News)

Take 3: The Tavian’s passage into the Arctic highlights the increasing number of vessels in Russia’s shadow fleet transiting through Arctic waters. The shadow fleet refers to a group of ships that Russia uses to sustain its sale of oil and evade international sanctions on the country’s energy exports following its invasion of Ukraine. These oil tankers are often over 20 years old, poorly maintained, sailing under false flags, carrying insufficient insurance, and disengaging their transponders. With the Northern Sea Route becoming more accessible due to melting sea ice, the Arctic corridor is increasingly being used by the shadow fleet to transport sanctioned oil, especially from Russia’s northern ports and oil facilities. According to the Bellona Foundation, 100 vessels from the shadow fleet used the NSR in 2025. Particularly concerning for the Arctic is the fact that many of the sanctioned vessels also do not have an ice classification, meaning they may not have a strengthened hull designed to navigate icy waters. These dangerous and deceptive practices are a significant risk to the Arctic as they raise the potential for disastrous accidents. Given the region’s challenging operating conditions, remote location, and lack of emergency infrastructure, an oil spill could have devastating consequences for the Arctic’s sensitive ecosystem. Therefore, countries should continue to monitor and stop ships in Russia’s shadow fleet, like the Tavian, to protect the Arctic environment. (Bellona Foundation, High North News, Institute for China-America Studies, World Wildlife Fund)

Caribou on Baffin Island Experience Strong Population Growth

As reported by Nunatsiaq News on January 20, scientists have found that the caribou herds on Baffin Island are making a strong recovery, growing to a population of 48,000 over the past decade. In 2014, the Aerial Abundance Estimates and Trends of the Barren-Ground Caribou of Baffin Island Nunavut study revealed that the caribou population had fallen to 4,600 animals from a previous 1980s estimate of 150,000. Based on the latest aerial survey, the researchers estimate that Baffin Island’s caribou population grew between 15 and 36 percent every year between 2014 and 2025, exceeding expectations. (Nunatsiaq News)

Take 4: The strong recovery of the caribou in Baffin Island is a notable accomplishment and highlights the importance of conservation in the Arctic. Caribou in the region face a variety of pressures from human activity and rapid environmental changes due to global warming. Hotter winters and less predictable snow patterns can affect caribou migration, preventing them from reaching their traditional breeding, calving, and feeding grounds. For the caribou on Baffin Island, sea ice is a critical means of travel from the islands to the mainland. However, rising temperatures and increased ship traffic have made these sea ice routes less stable and more treacherous. Additionally, the Arctic has become rainier in recent years, which creates a thick layer of ice that blocks the caribou from reaching the lichen on the ground, an essential food source. These challenges have led to severe declines in caribou populations, negatively impacting the ecosystem and the Arctic communities that depend on caribou for their food, traditions, and livelihoods. Caribou are central to the cultural heritage of many Indigenous communities, and healthy caribou herds are necessary to pass down important traditions, like hunting, and preserve their way of life. Thus, the exceptional growth of Baffin Island’s caribou population is a vital success and should serve as a source of inspiration to help protect other vulnerable species in the Arctic. (CBC News, Environment America, Government of Canada, NOAA)

Protest Against US Control of Greenland Attracts Thousands in Nuuk

As reported by the Associated Press on January 18, thousands of Greenlanders marched in protest against US President Donald Trump’s renewed push to acquire and control the island territory. Beginning in the downtown of Greenland’s capital of Nuuk, the demonstration drew nearly a quarter of the city’s population and ended in front of the US Consulate. Many Greenlanders held signs of protest, waved their national flag, and listened to traditional songs during the march. Similar rallies to show solidarity took place abroad, including in Denmark and Nunavut, the Inuit-governed territory in Canada. (AP News)

Take 5: The protest in Nuuk reinforces the message that Greenlanders do not want to be controlled by the United States and draws attention to the societal impacts of President Trump’s rhetoric about acquiring the island. As a former colony of Denmark, Greenland has experienced the atrocities of colonialism, and the US’ notion that the island can be purchased or acquired in some way only continues the historical legacy that pushes the will of Greenlanders aside. For many Greenlanders, the president’s recent interventions abroad and more aggressive stance towards the territory have raised alarm, exacerbating fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and feelings of being unsafe. Thus, while the US has not taken direct action against Greenland yet, the president’s words and the ongoing crisis have serious consequences for Greenlandic society by inflicting emotional harm, undermining trust, and damaging the longstanding relations between the US and Greenland. The march in Nuuk, which is potentially the island’s largest protest, is a strong expression of outrage and defiance, and highlights the voice of Greenlanders. Rather than maintaining a harmful strategy of acquiring Greenland, the US should take an approach that respects the people of Greenland, builds credibility, and works to address the shared goals and concerns of both countries. (CBC News, CNBC, The Guardian)