Have a great weekend! Here's your Friday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the *lowest* on record for this time of year (JAXA data)...

• about 500,000 km² below the 2010s mean
• about 1,110,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,670,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,000,000 km² below the 1980s mean

Check out more graphics here: https://zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-extentconcentration/

In the Dark #Arctic Deep, Scientists Find a Hidden Oasis of Strange Life https://www.404media.co/in-the-dark-arctic-deep-scientists-find-a-hidden-oasis-of-strange-life/ @404mediaco

#DeepSea gas hydrate mounds and #chemosynthetic fauna discovered at 3640 m on the Molloy Ridge, Greenland Sea: Giuliana Panieri et al. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-67165-x

"Gas hydrate seeps are patches of seafloor that releases large amounts of gasses, such as methane; the newly discovered site is more than a mile deeper than any previously documented gas hydrate."

Reine at sunrise by yan08865

https://tmblr.co/Z7VXvxie129FKm00

#hamnoy #arctic #canon #colors #earth #ice #landscapes #landscape #mountain #mountains #nature #ocean #outdoor #pavlis #photographers #pics #rocks #sea #sky #snow #solo #sunset #travel #water #wide #winter #norway #lofoten #village #islands

Christmas Eve ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the *lowest* on record for this time of year (JAXA data)...

• about 570,000 km² below the 2010s mean
• about 1,180,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 1,730,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,080,000 km² below the 1980s mean

More graphics: https://zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-ice-figures/

The Greenland Gambit: Trump’s Arctic Appointment Tests NATO Unity

In a bold stroke of Arctic geopolitics, President Donald Trump’s appointment of a special envoy to Greenland has ignited a diplomatic firestorm, challenging the core principles of NATO and European sovereignty as the great powers circle the melting ice.

A Christmas Eve Diplomatic Earthquake

On December 22, 2025, from his Mar-a-Lago residence, President Donald Trump delivered a geopolitical surprise that instantly recalibrated Arctic politics. He announced the appointment of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as the United States Special Envoy to Greenland, a position without historical precedent.

“Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security,” Trump declared on Truth Social, “and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.”

The response from Europe was swift and uncompromising. Within hours, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a stark rejoinder on X, asserting: “Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law… We stand in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland.”

This exchange is not merely diplomatic friction; it represents a fundamental clash of visions for the Arctic’s future at a moment when melting polar ice caps are unlocking unprecedented strategic and economic possibilities.

The Strategic Prize: Why Greenland Matters in 2025

Greenland’s significance has been magnified by the accelerating effects of climate change. By 2025, the Northwest Passage is experiencing longer periods of navigability, transforming global shipping routes. The United States, Russia, and China are engaged in a silent competition for influence in what was once a frozen frontier.

For the U.S., Greenland represents:

• A critical missile defense and early-warning bulwark against advanced Russian hypersonic capabilities, monitored from the upgraded Thule Air Base.
• A potential key to mineral independence, with vast deposits of rare-earth elements crucial for green technology and advanced electronics.
• A strategic vantage point to monitor increased Russian submarine activity and burgeoning Chinese polar research initiatives, often viewed as dual-purpose scientific and strategic endeavors.

Trump’s 2025 move can be seen as the operationalization of his earlier, dismissed idea of purchasing the island—a shift from acquisition to intensive, direct engagement.

The Sovereignty Breach: A Legal and Diplomatic Offense

The core of the international outcry lies in a clear violation of diplomatic protocol and sovereignty. Greenland, while self-governing in domestic affairs, remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark, which constitutionally manages its foreign, security, and defense policy.

The creation of a “Special Envoy” bypasses the Danish government entirely, establishing a direct channel between Washington and Nuuk. To Copenhagen and Brussels, this mirrors 19th-century “gunboat diplomacy” tactics, treating a sovereign ally’s territory as a sphere of influence. It undermines the very post-World War II international order that the U.S. helped build and that is based on the inviolability of borders.

Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, labeled the appointment “deeply regrettable and unacceptable,” stating it would be met with “firm and united resistance.” The move has unified a typically fractious Danish parliament against a common perceived threat.

The NATO Rift: An Alliance Under Stress

The crisis strikes at the heart of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Denmark has been a reliable NATO ally, exceeding the 2% GDP defense spending target and contributing forces to alliance missions. For it to be treated in this manner by the treaty’s leading power sends a chilling signal to all members, particularly the Baltic states and Poland, who rely on American commitment to collective defense.

The incident exacerbates an existing tension within NATO between:

This rift creates a strategic opening for Russia, which can exploit Western disunity to advance its own Arctic claims and energy projects with less coordinated opposition.

Greenland’s Dilemma: Between Autonomy and Great Power Politics

Caught in the middle are the 56,000 people of Greenland. The local government in Nuuk faces a complex calculus:

• Economic Independence: Greenland craves economic self-sufficiency to move beyond Denmark’s substantial annual block grant. U.S. investment in mining and infrastructure is tantalizing.
• Environmental and Cultural Cost: Large-scale extraction threatens pristine ecosystems and the traditional Inuit way of life, which is already under pressure from climate change.
• Sovereign Agency: While rejecting colonial overtones, Greenlanders see an opportunity to leverage great-power interest to enhance their own international standing and negotiation power with Copenhagen.

The risk for Greenland is becoming a proxy battleground, where its developmental and environmental choices are dictated by Washington, Beijing, or Moscow rather than Nuuk.

The Path Forward: Scenarios for a Fracturing Arctic

As we enter 2026, several scenarios could unfold from this crisis:

What is certain is that the Arctic will never again be a zone of low tension. President Trump’s Greenland gambit has made that a reality. It has demonstrated that in the new era of strategic competition, even the territories of close allies are subject to renegotiation based on raw power and national interest. The foundations of the transatlantic alliance, already strained, now face a cold, direct test in the warming North.

👉 Share your thoughts in the comments, and explore more insights on our Journal and Magazine. Please consider becoming a subscriber, thank you: https://dunapress.org/subscriptions – Follow The Dunasteia News on social media. Join the Oslo Meet by connecting experiences and uniting solutions: https://oslomeet.org

References:

#Arctic #ArcticGeopolitics #diplomacy #ForeignPolicy #Geopolitics #Greenland #NATO #NATOCrisis #sovereignty #USDenmarkRelations #USEU

Most of the #Arctic is experiencing warming temperatures over the last four decades in December. This is even larger over areas with a loss of sea ice cover, such as the Barents-Kara Seas region.

Data from @CopernicusECMWF ERA5. For more info: https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-25-0104.1

Things are really not good around the North Pole. Anomalous warmth continues, alongside record low #Arctic sea ice conditions. Nearly every time I check the data, there seems to be yet another new record this fall.

More graphics: https://zacklabe.com/arctic-temperatures/