Nordic Countries in January 2026: the most important developments in security
In January 2026, security news in the Nordic countries centred on military moves around Greenland. Denmark and allied European countries sent troops and equipment to the island for a military exercise in mid-January, with Sweden deploying officers to the region. A German reconnaissance team ended its Greenland deployment on 18 January. On 19 and 20 January Denmark sent additional soldiers and formally proposed that NATO set up a surveillance mission there; Danish officials described the move as defensive, said a military conflict was "not likely" and added that Greenland "must be prepared". The U.S. and Canadian air defence command announced the planned arrival of aircraft, calling the activity long-planned, and Canada could reportedly send a small contingent of troops. NATO and Greenland pledged to strengthen Arctic security. A report on 11 January said President Donald Trump had ordered commanders to draw up an invasion plan for Greenland, and another report on 22 January said he had dropped a military option after aides intervened.
The dispute was also discussed in terms of alliance security. A senior German general warned that a rift over Greenland leaves NATO vulnerable to Russia, and a British newspaper reported that NATO was restricting intelligence sharing with the United States. Trump claimed Denmark had failed to remove a "Russian threat" to Greenland. On 22 January the NATO Secretary General and Trump discussed a possible revamp of the U.S.-Denmark military agreement on Greenland.
Elsewhere in the region, Norway's military prepared legal frameworks for wartime property requisitions, and Norway warned property owners of possible seizures. Norway supplied Ukraine with a large number of air defence missiles. Finland's intelligence chief and defence minister said the risk of drones from the war in Ukraine drifting into Finnish airspace was growing. A recruiter for the Swedish criminal network Foxtrot was arrested in Iraq on suspicion of assembling a hit squad.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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