The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 23 June, 2025

Take Five is taking a short summer break and will return with fresh insights on August 22.

Greenlanders Celebrate National Day

As reported by ABC News on June 21, Greenlanders celebrated their National Day while marking the summer solstice. The annual event, held since 1985, was filled with marches, dances, and cannon salutes under 24-hour sunlight. The day started with traditionally-dressed locals marching toward the Colonial Harbour carrying Greenland’s national flags, followed by annual fishing and seal hunting competitions. (ABC News)

Take 1: Every year, Greenlanders unite on June 21 to celebrate their National Day. As this day coincides with the summer solstice, the event is also referred to as “ullortuneq”, meaning “the longest day”. Greenland’s National Day celebrations serve not only as festivities uniting communities across the territory but also as effective affirmations of Inuit identity. The event was first instated by the former Greenland Home Rule in 1985 and has been an annual occurrence ever since. The enactment of the Self-Government Act also coincided with this day in 2009, and since 2016, Denmark hoists the Greenlandic flag all over the Kingdom on this day. Heritage takes the center stage during the celebrations, with locals wearing traditional clothing composed of seal hide and pearl collars, coffee gatherings (referred to as “kaffemik”), dance performances, and fishing and seal hunting competitions. In a context of intensifying US interest and disregard for Indigenous rights, these cultural expressions convey a clear message: Greenland is rooted in its Indigenous heritage and will not be commodified or assimilated. Through such events, Greenlanders visibly reject colonial legacies, reinforcing cultural resilience and inspiring political pride. The mayor of Qeqqata Municipality, Malik Berthelsen, even addressed US President Trump during his speech in the town of Sisimiut, using strong language and urging him to “be more respectful to [his] fellow human beings”. (ABC News, Anton Pihl, AP News, DR, Sermitsiaq, The Danish Dream)

University of Cambridge Hosts Arctic Repair 2025 Conference

As shared by The Guardian on June 25, the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Climate Repair is set to host the Arctic Repair 2025 conference from June 26 to 28, convening engineers and scientists to discuss the feasibility of radical, technological climate engineering solutions in slowing down or even reversing the loss of Arctic ice, while also discussing the scientific, ethical, political, and social dimensions of such solutions. (The Guardian)

Take 2: In response to rapid Arctic warming and its ensuing feedback loops, researchers are exploring geo-engineering concepts ranging from marine-cloud brightening and stratospheric aerosol injection to iceberg-protecting underwater curtains and sea-ice thickening through seawater-pumping. The Arctic Repair 2025 conference seeks to select a handful of such proposals for further discussion based on feasibility. The appeal of these interventions lies in their potential to slow down the effects of climate change while long-term emission cuts continue. However, scaling efforts are generally costly and many critics have warned about unintended consequences. For instance, weather patterns could be disrupted, ocean salinity could be impacted, and ecosystems could be damaged. However, through extensive use of fossil fuels and destruction of ecosystems, humans have already geo-engineered the planet by accelerating climate change and inducing irreversible environmental damage. As such, with stringent ethical, social and political requirements in place, something that the conference addresses, some of these projects could be worth considering. For instance, Arctic ice thickening trials have shown promising gains, adding around 50cm above and 25cm below the ice sheet without leaving a brine cover on top of the ice. However, while theoretical viability has been proven, governance challenges should also be addressed. Eight states have sovereignty in the region, so international support – especially in the current geopolitical context – could prove tricky, and extensive consultation with Indigenous peoples are needed. As such, it is useful to continue the conversation and raise discussions to the international level. (Arctic Repair, New Scientist, The Guardian, WWF)

First-ever satellite launched to monitor Greenland and the Arctic

Sermitsiaq reported on June 23 that the BIFROST microsatellite has been launched into orbit aboard a SpaceX rocket with the aim of monitoring shipping traffic in the Arctic, particularly around Greenland. Developed by Space Inventor and supported by Terma, Gatehouse StaCom, DTU, and Unibap Space Solutions, the BIFROST satellite uses radar-detecting sensors and artificial intelligence to track vessels. The microsatellite can observe the Arctic for ten minutes per orbit and weighs around 50 kilograms. The project is supported by the Danish and Swedish defense ministries. (Sermitsiaq)

Take 3: As the first satellite explicitly designed to monitor shipping traffic around Greenland via radar and artificial intelligence, BIFROST fills an important gap in regional maritime domain awareness. Weighing 50kg and capable of ten minute detection per orbit, the microsatellite presents a cost-effective and scalable approach to Arctic monitoring. It is the first of its kind built for Danish and Swedish defense use and follows broader Nordic coordination efforts such as joint naval acquisitions, recognizing the Arctic as a critical security domain. Unlike traditional assets like long-range drones, naval vessels and sonar-equipped frigates, satellites provide persistent, space-based maritime domain awareness. BIFROST thus emerges not merely as a technical demonstration but also as a political statement. While Greenland remains under Danish sovereignty, BIFROST symbolizes an autonomous surveillance capability that enhances Denmark’s ability to monitor activity without relying on US or EU platforms. As such, it establishes Denmark as a proactive sovereign in its Arctic territories. However, BIFROST’s operations are rather limited for the time being. In order to achieve continuous coverage, a constellation of twenty satellites is required. In contrast, Russia operationalized its two-satellite Arktika-M system that provides around-the-clock, all-weather Arctic coverage for climate and maritime observation in 2021. This highlights the strategic urgency of rapidly scaling up this system to ensure competitive regional monitoring. A full satellite constellation would significantly enhance situational awareness, complement NATO and domestic assets, and support the Joint Arctic Command in Nuuk, responsible for sovereignty enforcement, search and rescue operations, and environmental monitoring. (Sermitsiaq, SpaceNews, The Maritime Executive)

Russia Set to Launch First Russian-Built Ice Class LNG Tanker

As reported by Reuters on June 25, Russian-built ice-class LNG tanker Alexey Kosygin is expected to begin operation in the second half of 2025 at the Arctic LNG 2 plant. Built at the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex across the bay from Vladivostok, and already subjected to US sanctions, the vessel began sea trials at the end of 2024, with final testing set to begin later this month. (Reuters)

Take 4: Originally planned to set sail in 2024, the tanker’s protracted sea trials, including a brief 72-hour stint in December 2024 followed by months of idling, have pushed its deployment into late 2025. These delays stem largely from sanctions obstructing access to critical components. Key systems, including the gas membrane containment supplied by the French company GTT, and hull modules from Samsung Heavy Industries, were suspended or cancelled after sanctions continued to intensify and more companies withdrew from Russia. As a result, even completing mooring trials proved to be a struggle, further postponing its commissioning timeline. Strategically, Russia designed the Arc7-fleet to ensure year-round Arctic LNG shipments via the Northern Sea Route, addressing export chokepoints caused by a lack of ice-class tankers. However, sanctions deprived Arctic LNG 2 of its shipping backbone, forcing Novatek to idle Train 1 in October 2024 as cargo buildup outpaced the availability of tankers. Subsequently, output intermittently halted in early 2025 due to this logistical bottleneck. The pivot to domestic shipbuilding at Zvezda seeks to address this, yet has only been partially successful. While Alexey Kosygin became the first domestically completed Arc7 ship, the broader fleet remains stalled: Novatek contracted 15 vessels to be built at Zvezda, but many remain incomplete or delayed. This exposes the limitations of Russia’s pivot away from foreign suppliers and will continue to put a brake on Russia’s Arctic ambitions. As such, reports suggest that the Arctic LNG 2 project will be targeted for sanctions relief in the Ukraine peace process. (Baird Maritime, gCaptain, Oilprice.com, Reuters)

Chinese Arctic Investments Falter Outside Russia

High North News reported on June 26 that researchers from Harvard’s Belfer Center and Canada’s Trent University published a policy brief mapping Chinese economic activity across the Arctic. The findings show that, beyond Russia, most recent Chinese investments in other Arctic states have stalled or failed to materialize: In Greenland, seven of eight proposed Chinese-led projects did not proceed, all but one Chinese-backed project in the Canadian Arctic faltered, and investment in Alaska remains limited. (High North News)

Take 5: This report underlines that China’s Arctic ambitions hinge heavily on its partnership with Russia and undercuts the prevailing narrative of a rising Chinese presence in the Arctic. In the aftermath of Western sanctions, Russia has been leaning heavily on Chinese investment and expertise to propel Arctic pipelines, port development and LNG ventures. Nevertheless, fourteen Chinese projects in the Russian Arctic have also been paused or cancelled, while five projects are active. Outside of the Russian Arctic, China’s footprint is even less impressive. According to the report, most Chinese-backed projects in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and the Nordic countries have stalled or been shelved over time. Notably, most successful investments date back several years, as recent proposals face growing scrutiny from non-Russian Arctic states, who seek to balance between business opportunities and national security. The disparity between aspiration and reality showcases that statements claiming Chinese encroachment on Greenland, for instance, are heavily inflated. Such arguments have been used by US President Trump to justify its ambitions in Greenland (it is worth noting that the US is the top global recipient of Chinese foreign direct investment). Moreover, widely cited figures suggesting $90 billion in Chinese Arctic investment are misleading, as they include project proposals or shelved initiatives rather than completed transactions. That said, caution remains warranted. China continues to participate in joint military drills and patrols across the Russian Arctic and some of its scientific activities are suspected of dual-use potential for military purposes. (Arctic Today, Belfer Center, Geopolitical Intelligence Services, High North News)