Nordic Countries in January 2026: the most important developments in politics
In January 2026, the Nordic countries were at the centre of a dispute over Greenland, the autonomous territory of Denmark. President Donald Trump repeatedly said the United States should acquire the island, citing security and the need to keep Russia and China out. Early in the month he called the U.S. military "always an option", and on 14 January he said U.S. control was the only acceptable outcome. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that an annexation would mean the end of NATO, and Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said the island would remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark. A White House meeting of U.S., Danish and Greenlandic officials on 14 January left the disagreement unresolved.
On 17 January Trump threatened tariffs on European countries that did not back the U.S. effort. Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer called the threat unacceptable and a form of blackmail, and EU ambassadors held an emergency meeting. France, Germany and Italy warned about alliance unity, Canada said Greenland's future was for Copenhagen and Nuuk alone, and a U.S. congressional delegation visited Denmark to ease tensions.
At Davos on 21 January Trump repeated his wish to buy Greenland, ruled out military force, dropped the tariff threat and announced a framework for a future agreement with NATO, including mining rights. On 22 January he named JD Vance and Marco Rubio to lead consultations on renegotiating a 1951 defence pact. Denmark said sovereignty was non-negotiable, and Greenland's government said any deal must respect its red lines. On 23 January Trump backed away from the purchase proposal. By 28 and 29 January the U.S., Denmark and Greenland had begun technical talks on an Arctic security deal, which Denmark called "very constructive".
Elsewhere, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo visited China, where Xi Jinping signalled interest in deeper ties. Denmark unveiled a reform allowing deportation of foreigners sentenced to at least one year in prison, and Sweden planned to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 for serious crimes.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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