Monday Morning News & Notes
Arctic Sea Ice Concerns. Food Prices Soar in Sweden. Europe Abandoned.
🍃Environment & Energy⚡️
🇩🇰 ☀️
After summer-like heat over the last few days, brace yourself for a return to the colder, wetter weather that is more synonymous with March in Denmark. The country was baking over the last few days thanks to a warm front that swept in from Saharan Africa. The warm wind pushed temperatures across Denmark to at or near record highs since late last week. Depending on where you were in the country, the thermometer was anywhere from a balmy 15 to 18 degrees.
According to the Danish Meteorological Institute, the weather records began to fall on Friday, beginning in Jægersborg in Northern Sjælland, where it registered as the warmest beginning of March ever. In Copenhagen, where weather records have been kept since 1768, temperatures were the second warmest ever.
On Saturday, it hit 18.1°C in Borris in western Jutland. DMI says that temperatures that warm have never been seen before in Denmark on any March 8th on record. Since Danish weather records began to be kept back in 1874, until now it has never been warmer than 16.9°C on a March 8, and then only in 1959.
For context, the institute says that the first week of March usually sees temperatures in the neighbourhood of just over five degrees. The warmest March on record in Denmark was in 1990, when it hit 22.2 degrees thanks to a big heat wave in the last half of the month.
Denmark will see a return to more usual cold and rainy March weather this week.
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It is officially spring in Denmark, as we roll into March with another timid winter now behind us. The Danish Road Directorate says thanks to global warming and mild winter temperatures, they are now using a lot less salt on the roads. Up until March 1, the directorate has used 33,278 tons of salt, well below the winter average of 41,600 tons.
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The Arctic is experiencing an alarming decline in sea ice, with February 2025 marking a historic low for both Arctic and global sea ice extent. Warm air surging from the south has prevented ice formation in the European and Atlantic sectors of the Arctic, leading to record-low ice coverage throughout the winter months. This troubling trend is part of a larger pattern, as scientists at Denmark’s National Centre for Climate Research (NCKF) report that Arctic temperatures have been significantly above normal, with North Pole readings in early February soaring over 20 degrees Celsius higher than average.
This lack of sea ice growth is more than just a seasonal anomaly, it accelerates a dangerous feedback loop known as the albedo effect. Less ice means less sunlight is reflected back into space, causing the ocean to absorb more heat, further delaying ice formation, and leading to thinner, more fragile ice that melts earlier in the year. Researchers have found that 93% of the variation in sea ice extent is directly linked to rising Arctic temperatures, meaning that as long as warming continues, ice loss will only worsen. With consecutive winter records already shattered, scientists warn that even more extreme temperature and ice extent records could be on the horizon.
🌎 🇸🇪
Global warming continues to hit people’s wallets in a myriad of ways. Coffee bean prices remain at record highs thanks to various climate change-driven weather events wreaking havoc on coffee bean crops around the world.
Consumers are beginning to notice that the price of coffee is skyrocketing. According to Statistics Sweden, coffee prices have risen by 17% over the past year. In January alone, the price of a cup of coffee in Sweden rose by 3.6%. Coffee experts note that if you look even further back, over the last five years coffee prices have skyrocketed by 300%. The sky-high price of coffee beans is not likely to come down anytime soon, and the high price for a cup of joe is putting a lot of pressure on small coffee roasters.
Johan Björklund, who owns a coffee roastery in Västerås, told SVT that his business is facing some serious challenges.
“We are already in a higher price category, so it's difficult for us to defend the cost structure we are facing, but we just have to try to hang in there. Customers will always want coffee, but there is no such thing as cheap coffee anymore in Sweden.”
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Food prices in Sweden have again rocketed upward, leaving consumers struggling to keep up with rising costs. According to Matpriskollen, February saw the largest increase in food prices in two years, fueling growing discontent across the country. In response, a viral social media movement is urging Swedes to boycott major grocery chains for a week, hoping to pressure retailers into lowering prices. Meanwhile, retailers are arguing that inflation is to blame, driven by global issues such as the war in Ukraine, supply chain disruptions, and rising energy costs, rather than corporate greed.
Despite these explanations, Swedish grocery chains continue to post record profits, with Ica Gruppen alone reporting a gross profit of 26 billion kronor last year. This has only deepened public frustration, as many believe supermarket giants should do more to ease the burden on consumers. The Swedish Competition Authority (Konkurrensverket) has also raised concerns about a lack of competition in the food sector, which may be keeping prices higher than necessary. With grocery store brands Ica, Axfood, and Coop controlling nearly 90% of the grocery market.
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Sweden’s food industry is calling for urgent action to strengthen the nation’s food production preparedness in the face of escalating crises. The industry organization Livsmedelsföretagen warns that Sweden’s ability to produce food has been weakened by recent global events, including the COVID pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the climate crisis. With the current security situation in Europe becoming increasingly unstable, the industry is pushing for strategic measures such as securing access to electricity, fuel, water, and transportation for food producers. They also advocate for stockpiling essential agricultural items like imported fertilizers and animal feed to safeguard production if the you-know-what hits the fan.
Head of Industry Policy Jimmy Sandell:
“If you compare, the military defense buildup has been launched quite rapidly with large investments. We need to catch up with investments in food preparedness. The more food we produce in Sweden, the better our preparedness. A high level of domestic production reduces vulnerability to disruptions that may occur in times of crisis, or in the worst-case scenario, war.”
Once a nation that produced 75% of its own food, Sweden now relies on imports for nearly half of all of its food supply, a vulnerability that industry experts say must be addressed. Finland, often cited as a model for food security, produces around 80% of its own food, making it far more resilient in times of disruption and crisis.
🇩🇰
As Europe ramps up military defense in response to the war in Ukraine, Denmark’s government insists that the climate crisis remains a top priority. Minister for the Green Tripartite Agreement Jeppe Bruus reassures that Denmark is still on track to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030, despite growing security concerns. “We’ve already made the political decisions necessary to reach this goal,” Bruus told DR, emphasizing that climate action will not be sidelined by defense spending. However, several climate organizations, including Concito, Green Power Denmark, and the Climate Movement in Denmark, argue that the government’s focus has shifted. “We must prevent climate change from escalating, even as we address other global crises,” warns Frederik Roland Sandby, head of the Climate Movement in Denmark.
The government insists that balancing security and sustainability is possible. In response to concerns about slow progress, Bruus agrees that Denmark must accelerate its green transition, urging faster wind turbine installations and the expansion of sustainable energy sources. Meanwhile, he also highlights the biodiversity issue, claiming that military activities actually benefit nature. "Some of the land used by the military is among the best for biodiversity,” Bruus explains, adding that the movement of tanks and other vehicles can create new habitats.
“When a tank or other vehicles move through the landscape, they create opportunities for nature to thrive. The environment benefits from being disturbed and reshaped."
However, climate groups remain skeptical.
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Scientists at Aarhus University Technical Sciences have made an alarming discovery. They tested a number of different breeds of ducks on the western coast of Northern Jutland and found that concentrations of PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, were so high that eating the ducks would pose a health risk to humans.
Back in 2022, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration had already warned against eating game killed in the area. At the same time, the Danish Nature Agency decided not to extend the hunting season in the same area. It turns out that both decisions were good calls.
Scientists tested some 188 dead ducks over the fall and winter months in 2023 and 2024 at Harboøre Tange and Agger Tange and found that the birds had significantly higher PFAS levels than ducks in other parts of Denmark. In one case, a bird was found to have PFAS concentrations 24 times higher than the EU’s maximum limit.
🇪🇺🇩🇰
The EU Commission has proposed a downgrade to the conservation status for Europe’s wolves from “strictly protected” to just ”protected.” What that means in essence is that if the change comes into force, member nations will face fewer barriers if they try to manage wolf populations.
Denmark’s Green Tripartite Minister, Jeppe Bruus, says he is happy to hear the news.
“If this change comes into force, it means that when you count the wolves and assess that there are enough for there to be a viable population within our national borders, we will be able to regulate those population numbers from there.”
There has been increasing debate around wolves in Denmark as reintroduced wolf populations have attacked other animals.
The EU’s proposed change in status for wolves must be approved by both the European Parliament and the European Council before it can come into force.
🇫🇮
We are only a few months into 2025, but the Finnish Meteorological Institute is already forecasting that it will be a much warmer year than average. The agency notes that January and February were both around 2.6°C warmer than long-range averages. It says its forecast that 2025 will be another record warm year has about a 90% probability of accuracy.
🇪🇺🇩🇪🇸🇪
Tesla continues to take it on the chin as people lash out against a politically radicalized Elon Musk. Tesla stock prices have done nothing but fall since Musk went to Washington and became US President Donald Trump's crazed errand boy. Last week, Tesla stock fell by a full 50%.
In Europe, Tesla sales have seen an excruciatingly slow start this year, with less than 10,000 vehicles sold, less than half the number of sales at this point last year. In Germany, where Musk’s support for the extremist AfD party has infuriated Germans, Tesla sales last month were down by a staggering 76% compared to February 2024. Tesla sales are also down 40% in neighbouring Sweden. The intense dislike of Tesla is so severe that some Swedish taxi companies say that customers are refusing to take taxis that are Teslas.
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Halfway there. Denmark has set a goal of having one million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. With five years to go, there are now over 500,000 EVs on roads across the country, according to Mobility Denmark.
CEO Mads Rørvig:
“We are very pleased with the development in Denmark, where green electric cars have been a priority for both politicians and consumers.”
While the statistics include hybrid vehicles, more than two-thirds of the more than 500,000 EVs on the road are fully electric. The top three most purchased models are Volkswagen’s ID.4, Tesla’s Model Y, and Model 3.
🇪🇺
The green energy transition continues to grow across the European Union. According to the latest annual statistics from EuroStat, the share of heating and cooling using green energy increased to 26.2% in 2023, an increase of 1.2% from the year previous.
Among EU countries, Sweden led the way again in 2023, with renewable energy accounting for 67.1% of all heating and cooling. It was followed by Estonia (66.7%) and Latvia (61.4%). Finland (61%) and Denmark (55%) rounded out the top five. On the other end of the scale were Ireland (7.9%), the Netherlands (10.2%), and Belgium (11.3%).
🦠Outbreaks🦠
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Measles infections are, again, a concern in parts of Europe with insufficient vaccination rates according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. The agency says in January alone there were 1,033 measles infections reported by 17 different countries including one case in Denmark and 15 in nearby Germany. The ECDC says using its own “epidemic intelligence activities” it identified an additional 1,868 measles infections across eight EU countries. Already this year there have been four measles deaths, all of them in Romania, which continues to be the epicenter of the measles outbreak.
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On the COVID front, the ECDC says it has added a new variant, LP.8.1, to its ‘variants under monitoring’ list “due to its fast growth globally as well as within the EU/EEA.” The agency also warns that COVID surveillance and the emergence and spread of new variants are compromised because of a lack of testing and surveillance across Europe. At the moment, the ECDC says that just three countries (France, Germany, and Spain) are reporting any virus data.
From what little information the agency has, it estimates that the LP.8.1 strain makes up about 5.6% of confirmed cases.
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The ECDC also continues to keep a close eye on the global avian flu epidemic as concerns mount that the virus could one day evolve the ability to infect and pass from human to human. The agency notes that two cats in Belgium have been confirmed to have been infected with the virus at a farm where there was a recent poultry outbreak.
🇩🇰
This is shaping up to be one of the worst flu seasons in Denmark in recent memory. In the last week of February, 2,500 more people were diagnosed with influenza. The week before that, it was around 2,200. The Statens Serum Institute says the number of infections continues to rocket upward with the infection wave showing no sign of peaking yet. The agency classifies flu activity as being “at a very high level” while influenza-related hospitalizations are “still at a high level.”
The RS virus infection wave appears to have plateaued with case numbers and hospital admissions both decreasing. The SSI still categorizes RSV activity as being “at a high level.”
The lack of COVID activity continues to surprise. Confirmed infection numbers and coronavirus-related hospitalizations are somewhat comparable to recent weeks. The SSI says infection numbers are “at a medium level” while hospital admissions are “at a low level.” Virus activity as measured in wastewater surveillance also declined week to week.
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In Sweden, the number of COVID hospitalizations (121) fell slightly (-5) while the number of severely infected people requiring intensive care remains at zero.
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Finland is also suffering from a particularly severe influenza season. Flu cases have already reached the peak caseload from last winter with no end in sight. The Finnish Institute for Health says influenza-related hospitalizations and doctor visits continue to increase. People in Finland are reporting severe flu cases with some really bad symptoms that linger for weeks, and just when they are getting better, they are getting sick again. More than a few are telling healthcare workers that they regret not getting a flu shot this past fall.
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The flu season is also fairly severe across the Europe. The ECDC says “There is currently significant respiratory virus activity in the European Union/European Economic Area” with what it called “intense seasonal influenza activity.” The health agency says seniors over 65 are most at risk.
“Most countries have reached, or have passed peak activity, however increasing trends in activity continue to be observed in around a quarter of the EU/EEA countries. Influenza hospital admissions have now started to decrease from very high levels in most reporting countries.”
🇺🇦Ukraine/ Russia War🇷🇺
🇪🇺🇺🇦/ 🇺🇸
“We are living in the most momentous and dangerous of times.”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a massive effort to boost European defenses last week. The ‘ReArm Europe’ initiative seeks to mobilize close to €800 billion for the procurement of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment. It would also help boost military donations to Ukraine.
“Europe faces a clear and present danger on a scale that none of us have seen in our adult lives. We must be able to defend ourselves and put Ukraine in a position of strength. ReArmEurope will boost defence spending, strengthen our defence industrial base, and push the private sector to invest.”
The multi-pronged plan would allow EU member nations to use a “national escape clause” to go into a deficit in order to borrow money to significantly increase defense spending. In turn, the EU would table €150 billion in loans that member nations could access for the joint procurement of weapons, ammunition, and equipment. Countries could also cut costs by cooperating together to purchase large quantities at a savings. The European Union will also dig into its own budget to direct more money to increase defense spending. It also wants to utilize private capital to help via initiatives through the European Investment Bank.
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The ReArm Europe plan received a thumbs up from Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
“This is a plan that aims to help Ukraine but also supports European countries to quickly build up a greater military capability.”
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Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo welcomes Europe’s massive rearmament plan. Orpo told Finnish national broadcaster Yle that European leaders have also agreed to frontload new support for Ukraine now that the US has turned its back on the country. He said that the European Union will allow Ukraine expedited access to around €50 billion from a special support fund. Other proposed measures to support Ukraine were blocked by the pro-Russian Hungarian government, which used its veto.
🇩🇰🇪🇺
Europe’s efforts to turbocharge military rearmament are being welcomed by Danish Industry.
Speaking to DR, Confederation of Danish Industry European Policy Head Rikke Wetendorff Nørgaard says these extraordinary measures are absolutely necessary.
“We are living in a very serious time, where we need to strengthen Europe’s defenses. The reality is, unfortunately, that several member states are heavily indebted and are therefore bound by the EU's debt requirements. In the extraordinary situation we are in, it therefore makes sense that they are temporarily exempted from the EU's debt requirements so that they can contribute to the rearmament of Europe. After all, everyone must contribute.”
That said, Wetendorff Nørgaard adds that safeguards need to be included so that the relaxed debt rules don’t become a slippery slope for either misspending or for individual countries falling into insurmountable debt.
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Germany is preparing for the largest rearmament in decades, as the country has agreed to borrow €400 billion (around $624 billion Cdn) to bolster its military and support Ukraine's defense. This announcement, made by incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz, marks a historic shift in Germany's defense policy since World War II. The move, part of a broader plan to modernize Germany's military, is largely driven by concerns over Europe's security in the wake of Donald Trump's stance on international relations. German politicians now feel they can no longer rely on the US as the ultimate guarantor of Europe's safety, pushing them to act decisively.
“I never thought I would say this, but after Donald Trump's latest remarks last week, it is clear that the Americans largely don't care about Europe's fate.”
Alongside military investments, Germany will also focus on infrastructure renewal, agreeing to borrow an additional €500 billion to address crumbling roads, bridges, and outdated public facilities. This borrowing will be used to modernize critical sectors such as digital infrastructure and schools. These sweeping plans have been prompted by a realization that the geopolitical landscape has dramatically changed. Trump's policies and his recent comments, coupled with the withdrawal of US military support for Ukraine, have left European leaders questioning America's commitment to their security.
🇩🇰🇺🇦/ 🇺🇸
As the European Union scrambles to deal with how to financially support Ukraine as the Trump administration shows that it can no longer be relied upon, Denmark’s Defense Minister has a suggestion. Troels Lund Poulsen says it is time to use the billions in Russian funds that have been frozen due to sanctions. He says the hefty amount of interest on the roughly €210 billion worth of frozen Russian assets that sit in European banks should now flow in its entirety to Ukraine.
“We could start by realizing the frozen interest income, which has still not been realized from the European side. Here I expect that we from the Danish side will most likely be allowed and able to realize up to ten billion kroner for direct investments in the Ukrainian defense industry.”
The European Union has unlocked some of that money and put Denmark in charge of its dispersal via its Danish donations model, which invests directly in the Ukrainian defense industry for weapons and ammunition production.
🇺🇦/ 🇺🇸
While the Trump administration has reportedly paused all military aid to Ukraine, the end of military funding and flow of weapons won’t be the toughest hit to the country. Ukraine relied heavily on US intelligence sharing to identify Russian troop movement and high-value military targets to strike. The Trump administration has reportedly limited or outright ended that support as well.
🇵🇱🇩🇰/ 🇺🇸
When the Trump administration pressed pause on its military aid to Ukraine, it did so without consulting its European ‘allies.’
Polish Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Pawel Wronski:
“The situation is very serious. It has great political significance, and it [the decision] was made without any information or consultation with NATO allies nor with the Ramstein group, which is involved in supporting Ukraine in its fight.”
Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen also called the cutting off of aid to Ukraine by the United States a “very serious situation.” He notes it could have far-reaching consequences.
“There are some things that the Ukrainians are completely dependent on in relation to the Americans. Among other things, there are the Patriot missiles that are used in the air defence system, which is American. So this will put Europe in a situation where we will now really have to do something more ourselves to help Ukraine.”
The United States also has the final say on the movement, sale, and distribution of parts and equipment from one country to another of F-16 fighter jets. Ukraine has just begun modernizing its air force largely on the back of donated F-16s.
The biggest alarm bells over America’s shifting support away from Ukraine are the extremely enthusiastic responses from the Kremlin. The Russian Presidential Office called the ending of American military aid to Ukraine the “best chance for peace.” A peace that was shattered by Russia’s invasion and a peace that could be restored immediately if Russia chose to withdraw its forces from Ukraine.
🇪🇺🇩🇰/ 🇺🇸
As Europe launches a massive military buildup backed by hundreds of billions of euros, it begs the question of where the weapons, equipment, and ammunition will come from. At the moment, a full two-thirds of Europe’s arms are procured through American defense contractors. With the United States proving to be, at best, an unreliable ally, it perhaps makes sense to not be as overly reliant on the United States as the EU currently is. Also, with the EU adapting the Danish donations model for Ukraine, which relies on building up Ukraine’s own defense industry so weapons and ammunition can be produced closer to the front lines, it would make sense to apply the same logic to building up the European defense industry.
In Denmark, several political parties are calling for the country to stop buying American weapons and military equipment. However, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen is dismissing the idea. He notes that despite the current tensions, the United States remains one of Denmark’s closest allies, and American weapons are already deeply integrated into the Danish military; the F-35 fighter jet is just one example. While Poulsen acknowledged the need for Europe to become more self-reliant, he insisted that defense investments should not be an either-or choice but rather a balanced approach that includes both European and American weapons systems.
🇩🇰🇸🇪🇫🇮🇳🇴🇮🇸🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹
With U.S. military aid to Ukraine on hold, the Nordic and Baltic countries are stepping up their support to fill the gap. Following a defense ministers' meeting in Copenhagen last week, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen emphasized the urgent need for more donations and funding to counter Ukraine’s growing ammunition shortages.
“We are in a critical situation, and we must act now.”
The meeting, which included defense ministers from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, focused on how to strengthen Ukraine’s military forces and mitigate the impact of the U.S. aid freeze.
One of Ukraine’s key requests is support in building and reinforcing its brigades, and Denmark is committing billions in additional military aid. Poulsen revealed that funding will likely go toward artillery systems, drones, and missiles, with a focus on investing in Ukrainian defense industries. While exact figures remain unclear, he confirmed that the total financial contribution from the Nordic and Baltic countries will be a massive multi-billion sum.
“We are ready to act, and our support will only grow in the coming months.”
Funding will come from Denmark’s Ukraine Fund and EU revenues from frozen Russian assets, ensuring a steady flow of resources to Ukraine.
🇫🇷🇪🇺🇺🇦
French President Emmanuel Macron continues to take a leadership role in European support for Ukraine. After hosting EU leaders in two recent emergency meetings, Macron will now host Europe’s military commanders this week to discuss security guarantees and peacekeeping options in Ukraine.
🇫🇷🇬🇧🇺🇦/ 🇺🇸
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are planning to accompany Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy back to Washington D.C. after the embarrassing and confrontational behaviour of US President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans during Zelenskyy’s last visit. The French government wouldn’t say exactly when the trip would take place, only that it will happen “in the near future.”
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Count Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen as onboard with the idea of a Europe-wide nuclear weapons umbrella. Frederiksen told reporters that she would be open to the idea even if it means expanding nuclear weapons across Europe.
“It is not something we are currently working on, but I don’t think we should rule anything out at the moment. Everything will have to be on the table now. It is about defending Europe and deterring Russia.”
She emphasizes that nuclear weapons are an important part of deterrence.
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On January 1, 2027, women in Denmark can be conscripted into the military, but that date might be moved up. The Danish Conservative Party is proposing to move the date to January of next year, citing Europe’s deteriorating security situation and the now urgent need to expand the Danish army. Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen welcomes the suggestion but notes they need more parties to come onboard in order to make the change. At the moment, both the Danish Democrats and the Liberal Alliance are opposed to female conscription.
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Denmark’s King Frederik made a rare comment about the deteriorating security situation in Europe while on a royal visit to Finland last week. The king said that the global situation is changing almost daily and that we are living in a "changed reality.”
“We are, of course, following it very closely, just like everyone else in the Western world does.”
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Finland and Denmark have signed a cooperation agreement to work more closely together on Baltic Sea security, F-35 fighter jet training, and NATO training missions. The deal was signed late last week in Finland by the two countries' defense ministers, Troels Lund Poulsen and Antti Häkkänen. The two countries also agreed to explore joint purchasing of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen:
“We live in an uncertain time with war on European soil, and here unity in the Nordic region is incredibly important.”
Poulsen says that one area where the Nordic countries could take advantage of closer cooperation is in the use of an aerial refuelling aircraft.
“We depend on being able to refuel our military aircraft in the air. It would make complete sense if Denmark took on the task of buying it, and then the other countries could lease it from us.”
Denmark has already signed defense cooperation agreement with Sweden and Norway as the Nordic nations continue to unite in the face of adversity.
🇩🇰🇳🇴
Denmark has signed an agreement with a Norwegian company, Kongsberg, to buy new, more advanced missiles for Danish naval vessels. Read into this what you will, but the Norwegian NSM (Naval Strike Missiles) will replace older Harpoon missiles currently in use by Danish naval vessels. The Harpoon missiles are produced in the United States.
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen:
“It is absolutely crucial for our common security in an uncertain world that we build on and expand our Nordic cooperation in the coming years.”
Because Denmark donated many of its Harpoon missiles to Ukraine, Danish naval vessels have been suffering a firepower shortage, and in some cases vessels have been sailing around with empty missile tubes.
🇳🇴🇺🇦
Norway has significantly boosted military aid to Ukraine. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announced that Norway will increase aid to Ukraine by 50 billion Norwegian kroner (or about €4.2 billion or roughly $6.5 billion Cdn). That boosts Norway’s total financial commitment to Ukraine this year to a total of 85 billion Norwegian kroner (€7.5 bil/$11.1 bil Cdn).
“This strengthens Ukraine, supports a peace plan, and enhances European security.”
🇸🇪🇵🇱
At NATO’s request, Sweden is deploying as many as eight JAS Gripen fighter jets and 110 personnel to air defense operations in Poland.
Swedish Minister of Defense, Pål Jonson, says this is to help on two fronts: NATO logistical support to Ukraine and policing alliance airspace over Poland.
“Participating in air policing will be another milestone in Sweden's role as a NATO ally. As we approach the first anniversary of Sweden's NATO accession, we are proud to be able to contribute more combat power to our allies. NATO makes us stronger and safer.”
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Police on the strategically important Swedish island of Gotland are investigating a case of suspected sabotage. Someone accessed an electrical box and pulled out some wiring that cut power to a water pump supplying large parts of the island with drinking water. Repairs were quickly made, and the pump was operational later on the same day.
Sweden’s Armed Forces have been busy fortifying Gotland since Russia invaded Ukraine. The island sitting in the Baltic is always the first step in an invasion by any country playing Russia when NATO holds war games.
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Finnish President Alexander Stubb appeared on CNN last week, telling Christiane Amanpour that should Russia agree to a ceasefire deal in Ukraine, a condition of such a deal should make Ukraine an automatic NATO member if Russia were to, again, break a peace agreement.
"Why don't we instead give them a de facto NATO membership, which basically means that when the negotiations end and we have a peace settlement, a part of it all is to say that if Russia ever breaks that settlement, breaks the ceasefire, or attacks Ukraine again, Ukraine becomes automatically a member of NATO.”
US Senator Lindsey Graham has also floated the same idea.
🇵🇱
Europe continues to prepare for war. In Poland, the government is working on a plan that would ensure that all adult men in the country receive military training so they can defend the country in the event of war.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke to Reuters:
“We will try to have a plan ready by the end of the year so that all adult men in Poland are trained in the event of war and so that this reserve force is actually sufficient in relation to potential threats.”
Rather than make it mandatory, the government says it will table incentives to get men across Poland to sign up.
Last week, Polish President Andrzej Duda proposed changing the country's constitution so that it is mandatory to allocate at least 4% of the country's GDP to defense spending.
Odds & Ends
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PostNord is ending its letter delivery service across Denmark in its entirety by the end of this year. The postal agency says letter writing is going the way of the dodo bird with a 90% decline in the sending of letters in just the last 25 years. Christmas, usually a major driver of letter delivery, saw a 44% decline from December of 2023 to the Christmas season of 2024. PostNord isn’t just ending letter delivery service; it will also remove all of its mailboxes across the country beginning in June. The move could also mean the end of 1,500 positions within the country, or about 30% of PostNord’s workforce.
It is unclear at the moment how the sending or receiving of letters will work in Denmark next year. Tourists looking to mail postcards back home and expats receiving important information from their less digitally savvy home countries could experience some headaches.
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“Obsolete—No longer produced or used; out of date.”
The definition could soon apply to Den Danske Ordbog (The Danish Dictionary), as the Danish Language and Literature Society says it will lose its funding by 2027. Without money, no more dictionary.
Senior Editor Lars Trap-Jensen says if the dictionary were to disappear, it would have serious consequences as the correct spelling of words would no longer be recorded and the evolution of the language would no longer be tracked.
The dictionary is currently funded by the Carlsberg Foundation with some government funding thrown in. However, Carlsberg, the Danish beer giant, will end its financial support of the dictionary as of this year. It argues that maintaining a dictionary is a public responsibility. The Danish Ministry of Culture says the issue is on its radar, and it plans to meet with the society to see if a solution can be found.
Lifeline—a thing on which someone or something depends or which provides a means of escape from a difficult situation.
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For the first time ever, Copenhagen Airport is going to hold a fun run on one of its runways. The event, part of the airport’s 100th birthday celebration, will be for children from nine to 15 years old who live in the Amager neighbourhood. It takes place on May 3, and the route will be 2.9 kilometres long.
🇩🇰🇬🇧
People in Denmark can begin to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) in order to travel to the United Kingdom. The UK will require an ETA from most incoming travellers beginning on April 2. British citizens are exempt. An ETA is good for two years and allows for a stay in the UK of up to 180 days.
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As of March 1, restaurants in Sweden are now required by law to inform any customer that asks where the meat they serve comes from. The new requirement covers all restaurants, eateries, and other facilities that prepare and serve food.
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The Canadian government has approved a joint Canada/Finland contract where a Canadian shipbuilding company, Davie, will build a new heavy icebreaker. The icebreaker will be constructed in Helsinki before the finishing touches are added at Davie’s shipyards in Quebec. The contract is valued at $3.25 billion Canadian, or approximately €2 billion euros. Delivery of the icebreaker is scheduled for 2030.
The state-of-the-art icebreaker will be 138.5 meters long and will serve as a research and emergency response vessel.
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Someone in Finland tried to name their child Velociraptor last year. The Names Board said absolutely not. It is common in the Nordic countries to regulate baby names, and if you want to go off the map in naming a child, you have to apply for approval. In 2024, the board rejected more than 40 names, including Velociraptor, Uncle Entropy, and Mimers. However, it also approved naming choices like Hamwar, Ecthelion, Piina, and Zuge.
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Finnish Lapland is suffering from a heavy flood of…tourists. The tourism wave is forcing Finns to look elsewhere for their traditional winter holiday getaways. For example, Finnish citizens made up just 12% of overnight stays in Lapland this past December. A part of the problem is that the tourism wave is driving up prices. The average cost of a hotel room in Lapland in December was €273 per night. The allure of snow and the northern lights doesn’t pull too heavily on Finnish wallets, as they can more or less experience that in their own backyard. The irony of the tourism wave is that people are flooding into Lapland to experience snow and winter activities because climate change has vastly diminished winter weather elsewhere. However, commercial aviation is one of the largest emitters of polluting greenhouse gases, and each plane trip contributes to global warming, which is accelerating.
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19.9 million people passed through Finnish airports last year, an increase of 7% from 2023. However, that is still 6.5 million passengers short of 2019, meaning that air travel numbers in Finland have still yet to return to or exceed pre-pandemic levels.
According to Statistics Finland, the 2024 numbers include some 16 million people arriving in Finland on international flights, and the rest came from domestic air travel.
Interestingly, if you burrow down in the numbers to specific airports, Helsinki Airport was still lagging behind pre-pandemic passenger traffic, while other airports like Rovaniemi Airport in Finnish Lapland actually saw more passengers than in 2019. In fact, visitors to Finnish Lapland last year rose by a whopping 43% compared to 2019.
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A new study from Finland has found that limiting screen time for children and young adults is good for their mental health. The study was conducted by the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Eastern Finland. It followed 187 study subjects over an eight-year period from their childhood through adolescence. Researchers found that those who had more screen time and more use of mobile devices suffered more from stress and depression than those who had less screen time. Conversely, they found that increased exercise helped reduce stress and depression among the study’s subjects.
University of Jyväskylä Assistant Professor Eero Haapala:
"Our sedentary lifestyle, which includes a lot of digital devices, challenges the mental health of children and young people. Recently, the discussion has, to some extent, correctly focused on screen time and social media, but I hope that our results will inspire adults who can influence children and young people to promote healthy lifestyles broadly, especially in terms of a balance between screen time and exercise.”
Great update