The Battle for the Arctic

With Robert Habeck, Professor of Practice at CBS and former Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in Germany, and Camilla Tenna Nørup Sørensen, Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Defence College, PhD

Moderator: Lykke Friis, Director of Think Tank EUROPA, PhD

The Arctic has become one of the most strategically important regions in international politics. As the ice melts, new shipping routes and natural resources are becoming more accessible, while the United States, Russia and China compete for influence in the region. For Greenland and Denmark, these developments raise fundamental questions about security, self-determination and relations with their allies.

This evening brings together two prominent voices on European and Arctic security: Robert Habeck, former German Vice Chancellor and author of the new book Kampen om Arktis, and Camilla Tenna Nørup Sørensen, Associate Professor at the Royal Danish Defence College and an expert on great-power rivalry and international security.

Together, they will examine the growing competition for influence in the Arctic and discuss some of the defining questions facing the region: What does the United States' renewed interest in Greenland mean for relations between Greenland, Denmark and the US? How should we understand Russia's military presence and China's ambitions for a Polar Silk Road? And what are the consequences for the people and countries caught between the interests of the world's major powers?

The conversation will also turn to Europe. How should Denmark and its European partners respond to the changing security landscape? Can international cooperation survive the growing geopolitical rivalry? And what role should Europe play in shaping the future of the Arctic?