Europe and Canada are now facing attempts at dangerous unilateralism from Putin’s Russia and Trump’s USA.
In violation of international law, the Kremlin is waging war with full force against the neighboring sovereign state Ukraine, including through the use of military resources in the Russian Arctic.
At the same time, the Trump Administration continues its quest for control over the Arctic island of Greenland, part of the sovereign state of the Kingdom of Denmark. To realize this ambition, Trump makes rethorical references to ‘national and international security,’ while threathening to use coercive force against an ally. (And other European allies, such as on January 17th).
This is not only in violation of the UN Charter – a central source of international law – but also of the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO’s founding document.
Intensive political and diplomatic work regarding Greenland, Ukraine and the defense of fundamental principles of international law is transpiring. This has significant implications for international security, including in the Arctic.
These are among current key security policy aspects, which partly formed the backdrop for UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper’s recent visit to the two Arctic NATO countries that border Russia: Finland and Norway.