Monday Morning News & Notes

Danish EV sales soar. Europe scrambles as Trump rages.

🍃Environment & Energy⚡️

🇩🇰

Last month, Denmark recorded the driest February in more than 20 years. The month saw some 20.3 millimetres of rain hit the ground, and a full third of that fell in a single day on February 24. That is the least amount of rainfall of any February going back to 2003. The second month of the year averages about 50 millimetres of rain, and in three of the last five years, it saw over 100 millimetres hit the ground.

It wasn’t just the lack of rain; February also had the lowest recorded number of wind gusts in decades.

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One down, more to go. Denmark will reach its 2025 climate target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50 to 54% below 1990 levels. That is according to the latest report from the Climate Council.

The next goal to come is the 2030 target of reaching 70% emissions reduction targets. The Climate Council says that target is not only within reach, but in fact, Denmark should aim even higher. In its report, the council highlights the decision in Great Britain to increase its 2035 climate target to 81% emissions reductions.

Spokesperson Peter Møllgaard was asked if Denmark should set a 2035 target of 80% emissions reductions.

“In reality, a higher target would probably be more consistent with the climate act's principles that Denmark must be a leading country. And it is, after all, a political consideration how to do this.”

The climate council does make three suggestions to Danish parliamentarians on setting a 2035 climate target. It sets the least ambitious at 80% and the most ambitious at 90% emissions reductions. The council makes three arguments for setting a 2035 climate target. One is simply due to the state of the global climate, with temperatures rising faster than predicted, with catastrophic consequences. The second is that with a goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2045, it makes sense to get as close to it as possible by 2035. Lastly, it makes the case that Denmark should be a climate leader, setting the pace for other nations.

All that said, the council also warns that major challenges loom in Denmark’s desire to reach carbon neutrality, and there is a very real risk that the country could fall “somewhat short of the target.”

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Denmark absolutely dominated European electric vehicle sales numbers in January. Year-over-year EV sales in Denmark in the first month of the year increased by a whopping 123%, way above the EU average.

According to Dansk e-Mobilitet, the good news came from neighbouring Germany, where an economic malaise had been responsible for plummeting EV sales numbers in the last half of 2024. However, January saw a remarkable turnaround with a 53.5% increase in electric vehicle sales. For comparison, in January of 2024, EV sales in Germany had fallen by 23%.

Dansk e-Mobilitet Director John Dyrby Paulsen:

“Europeans are increasingly happy with electric cars because they are superior to fossil cars in almost every way. Especially in light of the security policy situation the world is in right now. So it is important that the Germans are back on the EV bandwagon.”

Both Belgium (+37.2%) and the Netherlands (+28.2%) also saw strong increases in EV sales in January. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, EV sales across Europe rose by 34% in January compared to the same month last year.

Dansk e-Mobilitet Head Analyst Søren Jakobsen says this is great news for the EU’s climate agenda.

“The figures clearly show that we are on the right track towards the targets for CO2 reductions. Electric cars' market share is growing rapidly, and the development is faster than expected in several countries.”

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The rise of electric vehicles has led to a new type of crime. A thief or thieves have stolen 42 charging cables from two charging stations in Southern Jutland. One of the stations is Tesla’s largest lightning charging station in Europe, where 34 of the 48 chargers were knocked out of service last week. Police suspect the thief or thieves are after the copper inside the cables.

🇩🇰🇬🇧

The situation around the crucial AMOC ocean current and whether it is in imminent danger of collapsing or not got a little more clouded this week. The ocean current, which acts like a radiator ensuring a relatively warm climate in Northern European countries like Denmark, has been at the centre of a tug of war between scientific opinions. One side warns of its imminent collapse due to climate change and the dire consequences once it does, while the other says this isn’t a problem that we need to worry about anytime soon.

A new study published last week in the scientific journal Nature charts a cautious conclusion.

British Met Office Researcher Dr. Jonathan Baker:

“Our results show that the AMOC is likely to weaken with global warming, but that it is unlikely to collapse this century.”

But he stresses that “unlikely” does not mean “impossible.”

“There is still a chance that the AMOC may collapse [in this century], so we must urgently reduce greenhouse gases.”

Just two weeks ago, renowned scientist James E. Hansen sounded the alarm warning that the AMOC current could collapse within the next two or three decades. Hansen is a former NASA scientist and professor at Columbia University who was one of the first people to warn about the disastrous impacts of global warming.

The uncertainty is causing the Danish government to press for the UN Climate Panel to take a closer look at what the research says about the risk and issue a definitive answer.

🇩🇰

People living near Copenhagen airport are growing more frustrated over the potential dangers of particulate matter pollution from airplane traffic. Last week, residents met with Environment Minister Magnus Heunicke and Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen to get some answers. Heunicke promised that by the end of March, solutions will be tabled based on what other big European airports have done to tackle particulate pollution in the air.

But that is not satisfactory according to Louise Raaschou Petersen, who lives near the airport and is part of the citizens' group Citizens Against Airport Pollution.

“It surprises me that you don't work based on a precautionary principle; instead, the politicians keep talking about doing investigations.”

🇸🇪

Sweden could miss its EU-mandated climate goals due in part to the fact that in Swedish forests the trees are now growing much more slowly than they have in the past. With less growth, it means they are not capturing and storing as much carbon as originally anticipated, and that spells big trouble for Sweden’s climate goals. Ironically, researchers believe that the trees are growing slower due to climate change.

Researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences are calling this development “worrying.” They plan on doing some experiments on trees in Northern Sweden to try and find some potential solutions.

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There has been a major reduction in the amount of poisonous insecticides in the environment in Sweden over the last decade, according to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The university revealed the good news in a national study on Swedish waterways. It attributes the improvement to bans on dangerous insecticides over the years. It says this is a significant improvement for bees and other wildlife.

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Facing increasing energy prices, the European Union has unveiled the Affordable Energy Action Plan, an initiative aimed at reducing energy costs for people, businesses, and industries while strengthening the bloc’s energy security. The plan introduces both immediate and structural measures to lower electricity bills, addressing key price components such as supply costs, network charges, and taxes. By 2025, these efforts are expected to save EU consumers an estimated €45 billion, with projected annual savings reaching €130 billion by 2030 and €260 billion by 2040.

Beyond affordability, the plan aims to enhance energy resilience to better withstand supply disruptions caused by cyberattacks or extreme weather events. The EU Commission will update energy security policies, expand renewable energy infrastructure, and integrate energy markets to reduce reliance on volatile gas prices.

🇯🇵

Firefighters in Japan are battling the biggest wildfire the country has seen in more than three decades. The fire on the island of Honshu in the country’s north has claimed one life and forced more than a thousand others to evacuate. Around 1,700 firefighters are busy battling the approximately 1,200-hectare large wildfire.

The island is experiencing a massive drought that could potentially break a record set in 1967.

🦠Outbreaks🦠

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COVID vaccination rates across Europe are pretty abysmal. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control among the 20 countries reporting vaccination data the median inoculation rate for seniors over 60 this winter, was a dismal 7.4%. Among those over 80 it was 10.8%. At the individual country level there were some wide variations.

🇩🇰

February 26 (last Wednesday) marked five years since the very first confirmed COVID infection in Denmark, signalling the arrival of the global pandemic on Danish shores. Statens Serum Institute Director Henrik Ullum took the moment to reflect back on the pandemic and the valuable lessons the institute learned on the front lines.

"When the first coronavirus case was identified five years ago, the primary focus was to establish fast and accurate diagnostics to limit the infection spread in Denmark. This required close cooperation between our laboratories and clinical partners to ensure effective testing and monitoring. The pandemic gave us important experience with preparedness and handling of a global health crisis. Both in relation to cooperation with other countries and important organizations such as the WHO. And in relation to data exchange and the importance of having a flexible health system that can adapt to new strategies. All experiences that have strengthened our knowledge and will strengthen future pandemic preparedness.”

Ullum says one of the most important lessons learned was the importance of a rapid and flexible response. Another was how invaluable international cooperation is, especially in the remarkably speedy development of life-saving vaccines. That said, he adds that it was also eye-opening how vulnerable societies are to pandemic-level infectious disease.

He says the pandemic taught a valuable lesson on how important it is to closely monitor evolving viruses that could potentially trigger a new global health crisis. Ullum says that at the moment the avian flu, zoonotic diseases, climate change-driven health impacts, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria are all topping the institute’s concern list.

"It is important to be proactive to prevent new pandemics, which can make people seriously ill and cost lives. Therefore, we must continue to closely monitor and research new pathogens in order to be as well prepared as possible for future pandemics.”

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As for the current respiratory virus situation, influenza infections continue to rocket upward in Denmark. The Statens Serum Institute says that both confirmed infections and flu-related hospitalizations “are at a high level” and are continuing to increase.

RS virus infections are also “still at a high level”; however, both confirmed infections and RSV-related hospital admissions are now decreasing.

Still surprising is that COVID has not been much of a factor this winter. According to the latest numbers, infection rates continue to hover around the same levels as in recent weeks. The SSI says that COVID activity “is at a medium level” while virus-related hospital admissions are “at a low level.”

🇸🇪

Influenza infections are also sweeping across Sweden. The Swedish Public Health Agency says flu activity is “at a high level,” and it is anticipating that flu cases will continue to mount.

The agency also warns that flu-related deaths are rising this winter, with the majority of fatalities being among seniors over 80. This flu season has claimed 301 lives.

Overall, influenza infections rose by 27% week over week while the positivity percentage rose by three points to 26%.

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In Sweden, COVID hospitalizations (127) have slightly decreased (-2) while the number of severely infected people requiring intensive care (1) has also dipped (-2).

🌊Baltic Sea Security🌊

🇫🇮/ 🇷🇺

The oil tanker ‘Eagle S’ has been released from custody by Finnish authorities and is free to continue its journey, but it will be short at least three members of its crew. Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation said it has reached a point in its probe of a damaged undersea power cable that there were no longer grounds to continue detaining the tanker. They made the announcement in a statement.

"As far as the criminal investigation is concerned, the tanker is not prevented from continuing its passage to leave Finland's territorial waters.”

The NBI says that three members of the crew who are considered suspects in the case remain in custody and are under travel bans. The criminal investigation is still ongoing, and charges that might include aggravated criminal mischief and aggravated interference with communications could still be filed. Police say the investigation could wrap up by the end of April.

Finnish customs has also determined that the tanker was carrying Russian gasoline and diesel that is subject to sanctions.

The Eagle S has been detained in Finland since Christmas Day, when an undersea energy cable and several nearby telecom cables were damaged.

🇹🇼/ 🇨🇳

Stop me if this sounds familiar: Taiwanese authorities have detained a ship and its captain after an undersea cable was badly damaged. The ship sails under the flag of Togo, a country in Africa, but most of its crew, including the captain, are Chinese.

China has long used its authority to employ a tactic of damaging undersea cables around Taiwan by ships ‘accidentally’ dragging their anchors. This is a tactic that has since made its way to the Baltic Sea.

🇺🇦Ukraine/ Russia War🇷🇺

🇬🇧🇪🇺🇺🇦/ 🇷🇺

The United Kingdom and the European Union are trying to muscle their way into a place at the negotiating table after the Trump Administration said it would leave them on the sidelines and negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine with Russia alone. Late on Sunday, after an emergency summit of European leaders in London, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced they would work with Ukraine on a peace agreement, run it by the US, then take it to Russia, and once, or if, an agreement is reached, a European “coalition of the willing” will enforce it with a peacekeeping force.

When asked what other countries would take part in a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, Starmer deferred to those countries who he said would announce themselves. The meeting was attended by heads of state from Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Poland, and others. Notably, none of the three Baltic states were invited.

Starmer said that Ukraine’s western allies will continue to work swiftly to support the country with weapons and ammunition. He says even if a peace agreement is reached, it will remain a high priority to continue to build up Ukraine’s military as part of a deterrence against further Russian aggression.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also announced that his country will spend £1.6 billion (about €1.9 billion) to supply Ukraine with 5,000 air defense missiles.

“This will be crucial to protecting critical infrastructure now and strengthening Ukraine in the long term. We cannot accept a weak agreement like Minsk, which Russia can easily break."

🇩🇪/ 🇷🇺

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz joined UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in ruling out a disarmament of Ukraine as any condition of peace with Russia. On the contrary, he says that Ukraine must become so militarily strong that it will not be attacked again.

He says it is important Russia not be allowed to dictate any terms.

“Russia has always wanted to establish a government in Ukraine that dances to Russia's tune, and that cannot be accepted.”

Scholz told journalists after the summit in London that Ukraine is a democratic and sovereign European country and “it has to stay that way.”

🇩🇰

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen came out of the meeting saying that her government has “an open mind” about taking part in a peacekeeping force in Ukraine. She says they also discussed support for the Ukrainian arms industry in the meeting.

“And we must ensure the necessary security guarantees so that the war does not just return to Ukraine or another country. Ukraine's fight for freedom is our fight. It is crucial to secure a strong Ukraine here and now so we can achieve what we all want: a long-term and sustainable peace.”

🇨🇦

Add Canada to the list of countries that might be willing to contribute troops to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau left the meeting, telling reporters that everything is on the table.

“Canada has reviewed the best ways to help, and as I said a couple of days ago, nothing is out of the question.”

🇸🇪

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson says his country is ready, along with others, to give Ukraine security guarantees, but only if the US is also on board. Sweden has previously opened the door to taking part in a peacekeeping force.

“The best thing would have been for Ukraine to be included in NATO membership. Now Ukraine is not a NATO country, and there is no indication that they will quickly become one either. Then you will see what European NATO countries and the United States can do to make a peace credible.”

🇪🇺

After the summit, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that Europe must continue a major buildup of its defense capabilities. She says a rearmament plan will be tabled at the European Council this week that will seek to significantly increase defense spending.

“Europe urgently needs to be rearmed again. It's about the security of the European Union, and we have to prepare for the worst in the geostrategic environment in which we live.”

🇳🇴🇺🇦

As the United States turns its back on Ukraine, the Norwegian government is joining others across Europe signalling that it will significantly boost aid to Ukraine.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke to NRK:

“I can say today that we will soon return to the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) with a proposal to increase Ukrainian support.”

Støre did not specify how much the increase might be. Last year, Norway pledged 35 billion Norwegian kroner (almost €3 billion or $4.5 billion Cdn) ) on military and civilian support for Ukraine in 2025.

🇪🇺🇩🇰🇫🇮/ 🇺🇸

After Trump’s tirade in the Oval Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received public messages of support from virtually every other western leader from Canada to Europe. While most stuck to some variation of the theme that Ukraine has their support, others were a little more blunt.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas:

“Ukraine is Europe! We stand by Ukraine. We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor. Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.”

In Denmark, former Prime Minister and current Foreign Affairs Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen says he was “shocked” by the yelling match.

“To be completely honest, I was quite shocked. I have never experienced anything similar, not even behind closed doors. It was a diplomatic low point.”

Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he was astonished and saddened at the heated exchange at the White House.

"It was a diplomatic failure with only one winner, who wasn't even present: Vladimir Putin.”

🇳🇴/ 🇺🇸

The blowback from the Trump shouting match with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House isn’t just causing waves in political and diplomatic circles; it is also having other consequences. A Norwegian oil and shipping company, Haltbakk Bunkers, says it will no longer sell fuel to American military ships. The company made the announcement on their social media.

Haltbakk Bunkers owner Gunnar Gran spoke to Kystens Næringsliv, a Norwegian media company in Bergen, to say that his company will not deliver a single litre of fuel to American military ships until Trump is no longer president. He added that his company operates on a moral compass and also has not supplied fuel to Russian ships since the invasion of Ukraine.

“This meant that many of our competitors received a lot of extra income. We lost a lot of revenue. But we have a moral compass. Now the US is excluded based on its behaviour towards the Ukrainians.”

Gran is calling on all Norwegian and European companies to join his boycott.

🇩🇰🇳🇴🇺🇦

Last Monday marked the 3rd anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was among a contingent of European leaders to make the trip to Kyiv to mark the occasion. Notably, the entourage included Canadian and British prime ministers, but glaringly absent was any representative from the United States.

In Kyiv, Mette Frederiksen announced that Denmark is donating two billion kroner (about €268 million or $400 million Cdn) to Ukraine. The money will go to ammunition and, in coordination with Norway, the training of a new Ukrainian brigade.

“Denmark's message to the Ukrainians is the same as it has been from the start: We will continue our support as long as it is necessary. Ukraine is fighting for all of Europe. We must put Ukraine in the strongest possible position. We have to hold on. Deliver more weapons. Faster. Donate to Ukraine's defense industry. Because we are at a fateful moment. What we do now will be decisive for future generations in Ukraine and in Europe.”

Denmark is teaming up with Norway in the creation of the new Ukrainian brigade. The Norwegian military will be in charge of the actual training of the Ukrainian troops.

🇩🇰🇺🇦

Denmark is allocating another one billion Danish kroner (about €134 million or $201 million Cdn) to be used primarily for drones for Ukraine. The money will be put into a special industrial pool, which builds on the Danish donations model of working with Ukraine’s own defense sectors on weapons production and procurement.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen:

“It is connected with what has been the Danish strategy for almost a long time, that we have a closer cooperation with Ukraine in relation to the production of defense equipment.”

🇩🇰🇪🇺🇺🇦

Danish military instructors continue to take part in an international effort to provide special military training for Ukrainian soldiers. In England, the latest batch of Ukrainian trainees has been undergoing final field exercises. Danish instructors led the fully equipped soldiers on different exercises involving, among other things, attacking enemy positions, providing first aid to wounded soldiers, being vigilant for enemy drones, and locating enemy tanks.

For the next few weeks, the soldiers will focus on the use of small arms, from sharpshooting to using weapons in a battlefield environment.

In Lithuania, Danish military instructors and others from neighbouring Nordic nations are also busy training Ukrainian soldiers on finding and safely removing mines and other unexploded ordnance.

In an article published by the Danish Defense Forces (Forsvaret), they spoke to one of the Danish instructors in Lithuania, who spoke anonymously.

“I have enormous respect for the Ukrainian soldiers I meet here. Some of the course participants have been soldiers for a short time, and now they are here to learn more because they want to make a difference and win the war and clean up when the war is over.”

Danish military instructors have also been helping to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s, use Leopard battle tanks, and on the use of donated artillery platforms.

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More than a billion Danish kroner will flow to Denmark from the European Union because Denmark is taking part in three joint procurement projects to help supply weapons and ammunition to Ukraine and for its own defense. The EDIRPA mechanism was created by the EU in 2023 to incentivize member nations to work together to procure weapons and ammunition from the European defense industry.

Three procurement projects in which Denmark participates have been selected to receive EU support for a total of just over DKK 1.3 billion for joint procurement of defense equipment. Among other things, the funding will go towards supporting Ukraine with the purchase of more ammunition and for Denmark's acquisition of air defense capabilities jointly with a number of other EU member states. As Denmark allocates a historic amount of funding on a rapid and robust military build-up, one of the things the nation is critically short on is ground-based air defense platforms.

Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen:

“When we join forces with other EU countries to acquire critical defense equipment, we are helping to send clear signals to the European defense industry that production capacity needs to ramp up. We must be able to supply Ukraine's needs as long as necessary, and we must be able to take greater responsibility for our own security in Europe. That is why I am very pleased that Denmark is part of as many as three of the total of five projects that receive support from the EU.”

Under the EDIRPA programme, a partial refund is made available to member states where joint procurement involves a consortium of at least three EU nations.

🇩🇰/🇺🇸

A sign of the political times. A former chief analyst in Denmark’s Defense Intelligence Agency is warning that the United States could be using tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and others to spy on their enemies and allies, including Denmark. Speaking to a Danish media company focused on the tech industry called Radar, Jacob Kaarsbo warned that the threat of American surveillance via big tech companies is growing.

Kaarsbo cites the unprecedented political control the Trump administration is exerting on U.S. defense and intelligence agencies, all while Trump himself regurgitates Russian propaganda. He says that Danish authorities should assume that the Americans are using big tech and social media companies to spy on its allies.

“When you measure threats, it's about intent and capacity. I believe that the capacity is present.”

However, Denmark’s defense minister is throwing some cold water on those concerns.

Troels Lund Poulsen spoke to DR and said in essence that people need to calm down.

“There is a widespread perception that the USA is not a friend of Denmark. I would like to warn clearly against that. We have a very close collaboration with the Americans. We have that in a large number of fields, and there is, I think, no reason to create a huge rift in relation to the United States. I agree that there are things that are said by the US government that I also disagree with, but that does not make me say that the US is a country with which we do not cooperate closely.”

🇩🇰

For the next week or so, Danish soldiers will be learning from the lessons taught on the battlefields in Ukraine in a special training exercise. 500 soldiers from the Danish 1st Brigade began the Blue Lion military exercise in Oksbøl last week, focusing on, among other things, an enemy's “use of drones and the adversary's non-compliance with the laws of war,” according to the Danish Armed Forces.

Brigadier General Michael Thøgersen:

"Concrete experiences from a modern battlefield are essential for the further development of the brigade. It prepares us to be able to fight and win over an equal opponent both now and in the future.”

Soldiers from the Latvian National Guard are also participating.

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Two years after buying back a long-closed ammunition factory in Northern Jutland, the Danish government has come to terms with Norwegian ammunition manufacturer Nammo to run the facility. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen says he anticipates that the factory will begin producing ammunition again by the summer of 2027.

The factory in Elling contains 50 buildings with a total of 18,000 square meters. It was first opened in the 1600s but closed its doors as Denmark’s last operating ammunition factory in 2020.

🇩🇰🇬🇱/🇺🇸🇷🇺

Greenlanders head to the polls in a national election a week from today, and foreign actors are busy spreading misinformation. Both the Danish Police Intelligence Service and the Defense Intelligence Service are keeping a close eye on the election campaign in Greenland. In a new threat assessment, the two agencies warn of bad actors creating fake profiles of Danish and Greenlandic politicians in an effort to create division.

“There have been publicly known examples of fake profiles on social media, including profiles pretending to be Danish and Greenlandic politicians, which contribute to polarizing the public debate, leading up to the announcement of the election for Inatsisartut (Greenland's parliament). There are also examples of Greenlandic politicians or private individuals' statements being used out of context to promote or reinforce certain views.”

The two agencies warn that while Russia is almost certainly one of the bad actors, there is also a significant amount of misinformation coming from the USA.

The authorities also assess that there is a very high threat of cyberespionage against Greenland.

The Greenlandic election will be held on March 11.

🇩🇰/ 🇷🇺

10 months after Billund Airport was evacuated and closed for nine hours, a Russian man has now been indicted and will face charges related to the possession of dangerous explosives. The incident took place last April, and the 38-year-old Russian was arrested shortly afterward. According to Danish police, the man is accused of making about two kilograms of explosives. Police say half were used to blow up an ATM near Legoland early in the morning. Later on the same day, the man approached a police officer in Billund Airport and handed over the other kilogram of explosives, leading to the airport being evacuated.

The explosive was tested and came back positive for TATP, an unstable explosive nicknamed the “Mother of Satan.” It is worth noting that police do not mention any charges related to Denmark’s terror laws.

🇫🇮

Finland's Ministry of Defence has announced a €660 million program to provide Ukraine with new defence equipment from Finnish companies. This marks a shift from previous transfers to direct procurement from domestic defense firms.

Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen highlighted the program’s benefits: aiding Ukraine while strengthening Finland’s defense industry. The program, planned since last autumn, will roll out over several years and contribute to Finland’s total aid package of nearly €1 billion.

🇸🇪

Sweden continues to prepare for war. For the first time in decades, the Swedish military will conduct a full mobilization readiness exercise. The last time exercises like this were done regularly was during the Cold War.

Army Commander Jonny Lindfors:

“I really want to send the signal that we are now preparing seriously.”

In the spring, the military will test its readiness for a national mobilization. The exercise, called Saint Goran, will include all military units across the country and will involve bases ensuring they are ready to receive a wave of conscripts at the level of Sweden declaring a national alert. The exercise will not only involve the movement of people but also weapons, supplies, and vehicles from central storage areas to their respective military bases.

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An army is only as good as the speed at which it moves and the supply chain supporting it. With that in mind, Sweden has ordered a huge number and variety of trucks for its military. The 1.4 billion Swedish kroner contract with both Volvo and Scania secures the delivery of 775 trucks with options for another 575 vehicles.

Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson

“We are preparing Sweden for a new era. Being able to quickly move units and supply them during operations is an important capability in modern warfare. Through this investment, we are not only strengthening the operational capability of the Armed Forces but also the robustness and readiness of the total defense.”

The trucks are scheduled to be delivered to the Armed Forces beginning later this year and into 2026.

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Sweden’s political parties are united in their commitment to continued military buildup amid growing concerns over the United States support for NATO. The security situation in Europe, described as the most serious since World War II, has been further destabilized by former US President Donald Trump’s recent statements questioning America’s commitment to NATO’s Article 5. While Swedish leaders insist the alliance remains strong, doubts about American reliability are pushing Sweden and Europe to take greater responsibility for their own defense. Defense spending has already doubled in recent years, with further increases expected.

A key debate now centers on how to finance Sweden’s expanding military budget. The Social Democrats propose a special defense tax, while the government argues that increased spending can be managed without raising taxes. Similar disagreements exist at the EU level, where some parties favor EU-backed defense loans while others remain skeptical. Despite these differences, Swedish leaders agree on the need for continued military support to Ukraine and further strengthening of national defense, signaling a long-term commitment to security in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape.

🇪🇺🇩🇰

A sign of the times. Investors are going big on defense and weapons stocks. According to data from a popular investing platform in Denmark called Nordnet, people are snapping up stocks of European arms manufacturers. Sweden’s SAAB has seen its stock prices rise by 59%, Norway’s Kongsberg is up 105%, and Germany’s Rheinmetall has surged by 140%. According to figures from Nordnet, as of February 1st last year, 10,766 investments were registered in the nine most popular arms stocks in Europe. One year later that number has almost quadrupled.

🇭🇺/ 🇪🇺

The European Union’s dictator-within problem continues to fester. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is calling for the EU to enter into direct negotiations with Russia to reach a ceasefire deal in Ukraine. negotiations call on the EU to enter into direct dialogue with Russia about a ceasefire in the Ukraine war. Orbán also revealed that Hungary is blocking efforts by the EU to issue a joint statement against Russia that it wants to issue this week.

Orbán is rabidly pro-Russia, has close ties with Vladimir Putin, and is a big fan of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Odds & Ends

🇩🇰

As US President Donald Trump prepares to reignite a trade war with America’s closest allies, the pushback is growing. In Canada, there is a huge movement to boycott American products and buy Canadian. Something in the same vein is also taking shape in Denmark. The Salling Group, which is behind some of Denmark’s biggest grocery store chains, Føtex, Netto, and Bilka, is now marking goods that are made in Europe with a black star.

The Salling Group says it is not a boycott but rather it is allowing consumers to make an informed choice when they are out shopping.

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A school in Aalborg has found that taking students’ smartphones has drastically reduced the absentee rate. In a trial program, Aalborg Handelsskole asked all first-year students to check their phones at the start of every school day. The goal of the program was to increase social contact between students instead of having them stare at their screens. However, administrators soon realized that the number of students leaving school early didn’t just diminish; it vanished entirely.

Director Rikke Christoffersen:

“They simply don't want to go home without their phone. So no one has missed the last lesson. They stayed here until they could get their phone back.”

She says the school received so much positive feedback from the students themselves they have made it a permanent change beginning in August.

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Aarhus kommune has issued a special dispensation for a skyscraper that, when built, will be Denmark’s tallest building. The 145.35-meter-tall, 38-floor skyscraper will surpass the country’s current tallest building, which is 142 meters tall. The construction will not be without its risks, as the kommune issued the special dispensation because the construction company cannot comply with certain safety requirements as laid out in the local plan.

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People in Denmark love their books. Last year, 24.1 million books were checked out of libraries across the country; that is 800,000 more than the year previous. Statistics Denmark numbers show it also marks the third consecutive year where the number of books loaned by Danish libraries has increased. The agency also notes that physical books now make up 68% of the libraries’ total lending activity, with e-books and other digital options making up the difference.