Greenland minister takes over as Arctic Council chair

Denmark has taken over as the chair of the Arctic Council amid internal tensions as Donald Trump continues to threaten to annex Greenland.

Vivian Motzfeldt, Greenland’s foreign affairs minister, took over the two-year rotating chair position on behalf of Denmark on Monday from Espen Barth Eide, Norway’s foreign affairs minister.

“The Arctic Council must continue to be kept active so that the Arctic can remain a region of stability and constructive cooperation. For this, we will co-operate with all the Arctic Council member states and we trust you will do your part as well,” Motzfeldt stated during a press conference.

The Arctic Council, which was founded in 1996, is an intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation in the Arctic.

Any decisions and statements require the agreement of all eight member states –Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.

The council focuses on human, social and environmental issues. Its mandate explicitly excludes military security.

‘These are special times’

The Arctic Council has faced challenges in recent years with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and, more recently, Trump’s re-election in the US.

Greenland, an autonomous territory in the Kingdom of Denmark, has roundly rejected Trump’s claims over the Arctic island.

“We have been very clear in our politics that we don’t want to be Danes but we don’t want to be Americans either,” Motzfeldt said.

She added that Denmark, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands, has had longstanding cooperation with the US.

During Monday’s press conference, Eide acknowledged that “these are special times for several reasons” but said he hopes for continuity within the Arctic Council.

“These are eight different countries. The good thing is that we’re together,” he said.

“The whole idea is to discuss in order to reach some kind of agreement.”

Despite geopolitical challenges, the council has remained intact. Members issued a statement on Monday reaffirming their commitment to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the Arctic.

Navigating a ‘difficult diplomatic process’

Inuit Circumpolar Council chair Sara Olsvig, in a statement delivered on Monday, praised Eide and senior officials’ work to “keep the council on track.”

“Skillfully, you have navigated this difficult diplomatic process,” she said. “You have listened and positively responded to our advice on how to strategize to resume and continue the work.”

Oslvig also welcomed Motzfeldt as the new chair, saying that “expectations are high.”

The Inuit Circumpolar Council is one of six Indigenous peoples’ organizations that are permanent participants in the Arctic Council alongside the Aleut International Association, Arctic Athabaskan Council, Gwich’in Council International, Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North and Saami Council.

Olsvig said it is important for the Arctic Council to continue to address cultural, economic, climatic and environmental issues in the region as “the spiritual and physical health and wellbeing of Arctic Indigenous Peoples is intertwined with the health and well-being of the environment around us.”