On his own initiative and without being invited by anyone, the special envoy of the United States to Greenland, Jeff Landry, landed this week for the first time on the Arctic island on a visit that has caused much controversy and in which the American delegation was received rather coldly.The also governor of Louisiana, considered a figure very close to President Donald Trump, attended an economic forum where no one expected him. He also met with the Greenlandic Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, and with the head of international relations of the autonomous government, Múte B. Egede, with the intention “to build relationships and make new friends”, as Landy pointed out upon arriving in Nuuk.After three days of unofficial visit, journalists asked the Republican politician if the US still plans to conquer the Arctic island, as Trump stated in January. Landry's response was: “Greenland wasn't on the map until Trump put it there”. The Washington envoy also said that his administration’s desire is “to bring opportunities to Greenland". "This is my job, here", he said.Chocolate chip cookies and MAGA hats

One of the moments from Jeff Landry's visit that has gone viral on social media was the politician handing out chocolate coins to children in the streets of Nuuk. "If you come to the Louisiana governor's mansion, you can eat as many chocolate cookies as you want," he is seen saying in a video captured by the Danish public television DR. Landry also arrived in the Arctic capital with a shipment of red caps with the Trumpist slogan "Make America great again", which he has been distributing during his visits.This attitude has caused great unease among Greenlandic authorities, despite the fact that since Trump's victory in the US presidential elections in November 2024, they have had to get used to the parade of visitors from Trump's circle to the island: first Trump Jr. and the ultraconservative activist Charlie Kirk – who made a quick visit in January 2025 – and later the vice president, J.D. Vance, and his wife, who visited the Pituffik military base.After meeting with Landry, Prime Minister Nielsen stated that his government's rejection to be part of the USAfter meeting with Landry, Prime Minister Nielsen stated that One of the aspects that has most irritated the Greenlandic government is that a doctor was traveling with the American delegation tasked with getting to know the country's healthcare system firsthand. This has not pleased the Greenlandic Minister of Health, Anna Wangenheim, at all, after her government had already rejected the sending of a hospitalized US ship to Nuuk a few months ago under the pretext of helping to face the challenges of the country's healthcare system: “Greenlanders are not subjects for experiments in a geopolitical project. Our healthcare system must be developed through respectful cooperation and with Greenlandic self-determination, not through political envoys with hidden strategic interests,” she said.A US strategy change

Several MPs in the Greenlandic Parliament have also stated that they have received invitations to events organized by the American delegation, although many have refused to attend. Most notably, the inauguration this Wednesday of the new US consulate in Nuuk, which the Greenlandic Prime Minister did not attend.For the researcher in foreign policy and diplomacy at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), Mikkel Runge Olesen, the visit signifies a change in Washington's strategy, as “since January they have set aside the option of using military force to take control of Greenland and they only have one option left: to convince the Greenlandic people that it is a good idea to be part of the United States, even though the strategy has not been going very well for them so far”.The visit of Trump's envoy comes as discreet negotiations are underway between Washington, Copenhagen, and Nuuk to resolve the crisis through diplomatic channels. However, this week the New York Times reveals that the White House is reportedly trying to modify the defense agreement signed with Denmark in 1951 to secure a broader and indefinite US military presence. For Olesen, this represents interference in the sovereignty of the autonomous Danish territory, which is why he considers that "no government can accept it." "This crosses the line, and would once again intensify political tension," he predicts.

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The mining company Rare Earth Norway (REN) revealed last month that the presence of rare earth metals in the Fensfeltet deposit (located in southern Norway) was 80% greater than calculated two years ago, exceeding 15.9 million tons. From the mining town of Ulefoss, REN director Alf Reistad, who holds the exploitation rights, explained that he had many reasons to be happy: “This makes the deposit one of the largest rare earth deposits in the world. It could be of great strategic importance for Europe,” he said.Rare earths are composed of 17 metallic elements that are not particularly rare in reality, but are used for the manufacturing of electric cars, wind turbines, microchips, and in the production of weaponry, among many other things. Their demand is projected to increase exponentially in the coming decades, which is why the European Union has set the goal of covering at least 10% of internal demand by the year 2030. But in practice, this horizon seems unlikely, as today the extraction and processing of rare earths by European countries is zero.In this regard, the challenge for Europe is to stop depending on China, which until now supplies 98% of these precious minerals, a relationship that is considered strategically dangerous for the interests of the Old Continent's industry. This situation has led to Norway's deposit being classified “as of strategic importance” by the European Commission. However, despite the discovery, which has been dubbed “the new oil”, the Fensfeltet mine could end up never being exploited.Reducing dependence on China

In a phone call with ARA, Reistad now admits he is impatient: “It is time to stop talking so much and act to get the rare earth extraction up and running,” he says. According to the mining company REN, the deposit in Norway could significantly help reduce dependence on China, as it “could supply 30% of the EU's need for rare earths,” Reistad explained. The company's hope was that the mine could start operating from the year 2030, but fear of the financial risk of carrying out the exploitation and environmental objections are getting in the way: “Unless the Norwegian authorities, the European Commission, and the EU member states mobilize, these resources, which are considered critical raw materials by Brussels, may never be extracted,” Reistad warned.At the Fensfeltet deposit, the minerals are buried 500 meters under a volcano that has been dormant for 580 million years. REN's plan is to build an underground mine and transport the extracted ore through a tunnel to a nearby area, where it will be separated and processed, while the remaining earth will be returned to the mine to prevent the ground from sinking.However, it has been difficult for the company to find a site for a waste disposal facility so far. The old volcano area is rich in wildlife and is home to 78 protected species of beetles, butterflies, and lichens. In early April, the Norwegian government announced that it was taking responsibility for planning the mine's construction and assessing its impact, but environmental reports have indicated that the operation would severely damage vegetation and animals.The mining company REN admits that there is a dilemma, as, according to Alf Reistad, “it must be considered whether it is a priority to allow the destruction of natural space in order to extract the rare earth metals that Europe needs so much.” Reistad justified the development of the deposit by the fact that “after all, rare earth metals will be used to manufacture electric cars and wind turbines that reduce the impact of gas emissions on the climate,” he said.Beyond the environmental issue, there is also a significant economic challenge. To maintain its monopoly position on rare earths, China provides financial support to its industry and can reduce mineral prices when it suits it to drive out competition, a practice known as dumping, according to Reistad.On the other hand, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, recently authorized an investment of 1.74 billion euros for two American companies involved in the extraction and processing of rare earths, a very significant public investment aimed at reducing their dependence on Chinese control.For the Norwegian deposit to be profitable, Alf Reistad warns that the European Union should provide financial support to ensure fixed minimum prices for the company responsible for the operation, in order to circumvent competition from China and the US. Reistad also advocated for the creation of a Norwegian public company to participate as a co-owner of the project, a proposal that the Oslo government has viewed favorably, although it has not yet made any decision on the matter: “For us, it is about the state participating by assuming part of the financial risk involved in a project that is not governed by normal market rules because the competitor is China,” Reistad stated.In conclusion, Reistad emphasizes that time is also a decisive factor in facing competition and, therefore, the project must be initiated without further delay. Despite everything, he admits with resignation: "In Europe, the average time to launch a project of this type is about 20 years from the discovery of the minerals."

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Sweden's prestige as a driver of the green industry in Europe suffered a very hard blow with the bankruptcy of Northvolt in the year 2025. The electric battery manufacturer could not live up to expectations and became the biggest industrial failure in the modern history of the Nordic country. A year later, another emblematic company of the green industrial revolution driven from northern Sweden has avoided a similar fate.

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Donald Trump's foreign policy eyes are on the war in Iran, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten about Greenland. So far, little information has been revealed to the media about the negotiations involving Denmark, Greenland, and the United States following the dispute initiated by the US president when he threatened to take control of the Arctic island. However, in recent weeks, newspapers in the Nordic country and the New York Times have indicated that the US military will ensure a greater presence in Greenland. Specifically, the Pentagon is negotiating with Danish diplomats the opening of three new military bases, which would represent the first expansion of the US presence in decades.In a hearing before the U.S. Congress, Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, head of the U.S. Northern Command, told lawmakers that the military wanted to have “more access to Greenland.” “We have observed a growing threat along with increasing strategic importance,” he said. Guillot added that they were working “to develop more ports and more airfields in case they are needed in the Arctic.”In the negotiations underway since the beginning of the year, the Danish government has referred to the defense agreement signed in 1951 between the United States and Denmark to point out that the Americans already have very broad military access to Greenland. However, the Pentagon would use this same pact to map out expansion plans for its troops on the autonomous territory, which has been part of the Kingdom of Denmark for over 300 years.Analysts warn that Denmark has little power in its hands to block the opening of new military bases, even though trust with the White House has been broken since Trump arrived. In January, the Nordic country's army even made plans to blow up Greenland's airfields and prepared to provide blood reserves for its soldiers to face an American invasion, details revealed by Danish public television DR in March.A defense agreement very favorable to the US

A very favorable defense agreement for the USThe Danish broadcaster DR has reported that in recent weeks, US Marine Corps officials have visited the enclave of Narsarsuaq, in the south of the island, where they have examined the port conditions and accommodation options in the area, which has a hotel. From the New York Times it has also been learned that the other point of interest for the US military is the old airport of Kangerlussuaq, on the southwest coast. These two enclaves already hosted US military bases during World War II and the Cold War, but they were abandoned and handed over to the Danish authorities, and much of their military infrastructure was dismantled.Trump's urgencies to expand the North American presence in Greenland clash with the little attention the US has paid to it in the last fifty years. Under the Nazi occupation of Denmark in World War II, the US helped defend the Arctic territory by sending thousands of troops and establishing dozens of military bases. Of that presence, today only the remote American base of Pituffik remains operational, where a hundred soldiers are deployed.According to the Pentagon, negotiations with Denmark and Greenland "seem to be going well",New York Timestold a source, while Commander Guillot cited that the governments of Denmark and Greenland "are very, very cooperative". According to the existing defense agreement, which was updated in 2004, the US is supposed to "consult and inform" the authorities in Copenhagen and Nuuk before making a major change in military presence. But senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), Ulrik Pram Gad, emphasizes that, although "Denmark and Greenland can say no, in practice this never happens, because if they do, the US could argue that they have to take control of the island for themselves".On the other hand, the element not covered in the current agreement, Gad points out, would be to establish “a North American monopoly on resources, or a White House veto on Chinese investments in the Arctic territory.” “Trump probably wants this, but the governments of Denmark and Greenland would find it very difficult to accept”, says the expert.However, Greenlanders have overwhelmingly spoken out against Trump, "and right now there is concern about the increase in the US military presence," says Gad. Nevertheless, he considers that "it is good news that there are diplomatic negotiations away from the media spotlight to resolve the crisis, although with Trump everything is unpredictable."

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The Russian invasion of Ukraine precipitated the end of Swedish neutrality with its entry into NATO. Now the Nordic country is opening the debate towards a new historical turn after decades of reticence: the adoption of the euro. As a member of the European Union for over 30 years, Sweden is one of the few countries that have maintained their own currency, the krona. Brussels' laws stipulate that the Scandinavian country will one day join the euro, but in reality, this issue has been postponed without ever setting a date. However, closer integration with the EU is beginning to seem more attractive to Stockholm, which is seeking a shield against increasing geopolitical instability and the deterioration of transatlantic relations with the United States under Donald Trump.

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Geographically isolated and with an inclement climate (it rains 300 days a year and the wind reaches hurricane-force gusts), the Faroe Islands are another piece of the Kingdom of Denmark that has gained growing importance on the geopolitical chessboard. This archipelago, made up of eighteen islands, is in a privileged position to monitor the North Atlantic, where world powers compete for control of the Arctic gateways. European fishing fleets and American warships converge in its waters. At the same time, the Faroe Islands maintain a controversial trade agreement with Russia on fishing, the heart of an economy that does not depend on donations from Copenhagen (as is the case with Greenland). The Faroe Islands are part of NATO through Denmark, but they are not part of the European Union, as the autonomous government is not interested in entering into community fishing regulations.In these circumstances, the Faroese (55,000 inhabitants) elected a new government at the end of March to manage their extensive autonomy, while Denmark retains powers over defense, security, foreign policy, currency, and courts. The victory of the Conservative Party at the polls opens the door for Beinir Johannesen, 29 years old, to become the youngest prime minister the country has ever had.At a time when Donald Trump's desires for Greenland have generated anxiety in the region, the elections have set aside geopolitics and have focused on the economy, which is in expansion. The Atlantic nation's GDP per capita exceeds that of Denmark, thanks to salmon farm exports, which are worth one billion euros annually. The unemployment rate is around 1%, and the country has modern infrastructure, such as the world's first roundabout built under the sea.However, housing prices in the capital, Tórshavn, are a headache for those who want to live there, at the same time as the islands face a serious depopulation problem. Among 25-year-old Faroese, 40% choose to move abroad and approximately one in five never return. Another controversy is the largest construction project in their history: a 23-kilometer subsea tunnel that will cost the equivalent of 20% of the country's GDP.In the background of the elections, there has also been independence with Denmark, an option defended by five of the six main Faroese political formations. In 1946, the Faroese voted by a narrow margin to separate from Denmark, but at that time the Danish king Christian X did not approve it. Finally, self-government powers were expanded in 2005, after the Faroe Islands and Denmark had been connected for more than 600 years.At the beginning of this year, the Faroese government was set to reopen negotiations with Copenhagen with the intention of pushing for greater autonomy. But that was before Trump triggered the worst diplomatic crisis in the Danish kingdom over control of the Arctic island of Greenland. Faced with this situation, the Faroese leaders decided it was not the time to enter into in-depth negotiations with Copenhagen over their sovereignty: “Given the climate that was generated, it was seen that it was not opportune to start negotiations on the condition of a new state, as everything was unpredictable”, reasons Heini í Skorini, an expert in international relations at the University of the Faroe Islands.The expert explains that the reasons for independence are based on the will to have a voice of our own on the international stage: “For us, the fact of not being a sovereign entity makes it very difficult for us to negotiate new and better free trade agreements because this is done between states”, he argues. Skorini also points out that “there is a political consensus that the next step is to achieve statehood, without this necessarily implying leaving the Danish Commonwealth”.Increase in geopolitical tension

While the issue of sovereignty has been put aside, the Faroese government has extended the controversial fishing agreement with Russia year after year to exchange quotas, despite the war in Ukraine. This cooperation in fishing has irritated Copenhagen and Brussels, even though from Tórshavn it is justified that food products are not subject to sanctions. They also recall that Norway has ratified similar agreements with Moscow: “On the one hand, all EU sanctions against Russia have been adopted because we want to be part of Europe and NATO, but, on the other hand, the decision has been made to maintain fishing cooperation with the Russians,” details Skorini.Although the Faroe Islands have attracted much less attention than Greenland, the Faroese perceive the growing interest of superpowers: “Some years ago it would have been science fiction to see a North American nuclear submarine surfacing in a Faroese port, but today it is no longer the case,” assures the expert. The archipelago is located in the so-called GIUK gap between Greenland, Iceland, and Scotland, a point that NATO keeps a close eye on because it represents the exit to the Atlantic for the Russian submarine fleet based in the Arctic. Faroese politicians have also expressed their concern that Russian fishing vessels anchored in the islands may be carrying out espionage operations. To monitor all this, the United States will install new radars to observe what is happening in the archipelago's waters, “although the increase in US military presence also creates some suspicions,” acknowledges Skorini.

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Denmark's wealthiest businesspeople are up in arms and have fully entered the election campaign for the general election to be held in the Nordic country on March 24. The reason for their discontent is the campaign promise of Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to reintroduce a 5% annual wealth tax as a measure to reduce growing inequality in the country. The new tax, which has become one of the hottest topics of the election campaign, would affect some 22,000 people (in a country with 5.9 million inhabitants), who would pay an average of 300,000 kroner per year (40,000 euros). Frederiksen detailed this in the business daily. BørsenThe state would collect around 6 billion kroner annually (803 million euros), which would be used to finance the ambitious public school reform presented by the Social Democrats before the elections. Just days before the polls open, surveys show that the wealth tax is viewed favorably by a majority of voters, as Frederiksen's party is the most likely to win the election. However, there is virtually a tie between the progressive parties, which have supported the Social Democrats' proposal, and the conservative parties, which completely reject the idea. Executives from some of the country's leading companies have also publicly voiced their strong opposition, making unusual media appearances during the campaign. The CEO of shipping giant Maersk, Robert Maersk Uggla, has stated that the tax "would have very bad consequences for Denmark." Uggla, who heads the largest company in the Nordic country (with a turnover of €52 billion in 2024), expressed his fear that Danish companies will have even more difficulty hiring and retaining top executives due to the tax, as Denmark already applies one of the highest income tax rates in the world at 60.5% on salaries exceeding €348,000 annually. Meanwhile, businessman Henrik Andersen, CEO of Vestas (a world leader in wind turbine manufacturing), has threatened to pack his bags and move the company abroad if the Social Democrats fulfill their election promise. "If it comes to fruition; I can be more clear," he said in an interview with the newspaper. Berlingske

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The idea that the Nordic countries should develop a joint nuclear weapons program would have been considered absurd and ridiculous just a few years ago. But now times have changed, and the uncertainty over whether the United States is no longer a reliable ally is generating profound Concern in a region that fears Russian aggressionIn this context, a question is circulating that would have been unthinkable before, but which is starting to be heard among various personalities and academics, who are questioning whether the time has come for the Nordic countries to build their own nuclear protection umbrella.

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Birgitte Thorup Nielsen (67 years old) carefully descends the icy stairs to avoid slipping. The sea water is -1 degree Celsius, and the strong wind whips up waves that splash her swimsuit before she enters the water. On a winter morning, the sun is hidden behind a gray sky, and the air temperature is -4 degrees Celsius, but the gusts of wind make the cold feel even more intense.

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Not so long ago, Novo Nordisk was the most valuable company in Europe thanks to sales of the drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, which proved to be miracle weight-loss injections. At the beginning of summer 2024, the Danish pharmaceutical company was worth more than the companies of the French luxury conglomerate LVMH and the Dutch chip manufacturer ASML. In fact, Novo Nordisk earned so much money that the Novo Foundation, which owns part of the company, became one of the largest philanthropic foundations in the world, on par with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, created by the founder of Microsoft. Given this boom, the pharmaceutical company's decline over the last two years is all the more striking. This fall is clearly reflected on the stock market: on June 25, 2024, the company's shares reached a peak of €113, but now the price has dropped by almost 70%. The Danish pharmaceutical company's latest stock market plunge occurred last week, when its shares fell 18% in a single day, coinciding with the release of its 2025 financial results and sales forecasts for this year. According to the company's results, Novo Nordisk continues to be very profitable (€13.7 billion, up 1.4% year-on-year, and sales of €41 billion, a 6.4% increase). However, the outlook for the future exacerbates the pharmaceutical company's crisis, as it forecasts a revenue decline of between 5% and 13% by 2026. This decline represents the first drop in annual sales since 2017, before the company began selling the drug Ozempic. In response to this announcement, Chief Financial Officer Karsten Munk Knudsen admitted that it was a "very disappointing" forecast. Thus, the year has not started well for the company. The company had made a big bet earlier this year on launching a weight-loss pill with the same active ingredient, semaglutide, as the popular drug Wegovy, which, however, is injected. But less than two days later, a pharmaceutical imitation of this drug, manufactured by the American company Hims & Hers Health, appeared on the market, priced at $49 for the first month and $99 for subsequent months, while the drug manufactured by Novo Nordisk sells for $149.

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The influence and strength of NATO allies are not measured solely by troop numbers or defense budget figures. Denmark clearly illustrates this. Despite being a small nation with a modestly sized armed forces, the Nordic country has built a reputation as a crucial member for NATO's interests. This is due to its geographic location and its political reliability, as it has historically been one of Washington's closest and most loyal allies.

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The Greenlandic flag is flying these days on several iconic buildings in Copenhagen, such as the famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park, the central Nørreport Square, and Christiansborg Palace, where the Danish Parliament is located. "Denmark has always believed in democratic values and dialogue, and therefore, from the Greenlandic perspective, we stand with the current pressure from American politicians," said the Speaker of Parliament, Søren Gade, on the day a delegation of US congressmen visited the Danish capital.

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The a hard line against immigration The policy that the Danish government has been promoting in recent years has suffered a significant setback from the European courts, now that other European countries, with the United Kingdom at the forefront, intend to emulate the Danish migration model.

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Finland remains the happiest country in the world according to theWorld Happiness ReportDespite its struggling economy battling stagnation, the unemployment rate is already the second highest in the EU (only behind Spain), and imbalances in public finances are leading to significant cuts in its prized welfare state. Not so many years ago, the Nordic country was an example of what are known as... countries frugal and one of the EU's most fiscally disciplined partners. Now things have changed, and the country's public debt is projected to reach 90% next year, almost 50% higher than in 2019. The public deficit has also risen this year to 4.5% of GDP, a figure higher than the 3% of GDP tolerated by Brussels.

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Denmark no longer considers the United States under Donald Trump a reliable ally for its security. This conclusion is drawn from the annual report published by the Danish military intelligence service (FE), which outlines the threats detected against the country. The report states that the main threats come from Russia and China, along with a list of terrorist organizations. What has caused surprise is the addition of the United States this year, despite the country being a long-standing ally of Denmark within the NATO framework.

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In Sweden, 65 car mechanics have been on strike for two years against the electric vehicle company Tesla, owned by the world's richest man, Elon Musk. The strike is the longest in the Nordic country in the last 100 years and represents the first and only strike in the world against a company owned by the billionaire who recently stepped down as Donald Trump's right-hand man in the White House.

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Beneath the streets of Copenhagen lie vestiges of the Cold War that the Danish Parliament wants to unearth. For decades, the subsoil of the Danish capital housed a network of 6,000 public bunkers to protect against air raids. Today, hidden among weeds and covered in graffiti, 1,000 shelters remain, relics of a past that everyone had forgotten.

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US President Donald Trump has been harboring animosity toward wind energy since wind turbines ruined his ocean views at one of the tycoon's golf courses in Scotland. Since Trump returned to the White House, he has also claimed that wind farms are "ugly, expensive, and an unreliable source of energy," and has launched a crusade against the wind energy industry. One of the companies that has felt the most headwinds from the US administration is the Danish energy giant Ørsted, a pioneer and world leader in the construction of offshore wind farms, with two of its major projects currently under construction in the US.

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Just two years ago, the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk was the most valuable company in Europe (around €600 billion), and its growth seemed limitless thanks to sales of its drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. Originally intended for diabetes, these drugs turned out to be miracle injections for losing appetite and losing weight, causing the Danish company to multiply its value fivefold in just five years.

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With the rise in the polls and the increase in popularity of the far-right Progress Party (FrP), few thought a year ago that the Labour Party of Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store could win the Norwegian parliamentary elections againHowever, on Monday night, at the Social Democrats' headquarters, a euphoric Store, overcome with victory, delivered a very clear message: "This is a signal outside Norway that social democracy can also win despite the right-wing wave."

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