Greenland crisis US threat

Danish MP takes state to court over US deal

Theresa Scavenius, a political savage in the Danish parliament, plans to take the state to court over a military deal with the US. She tells The Guardian.

The deal was signed during the Biden administration in 2023 and ratified last year. It gives the US access to Danish air bases and jurisdiction over US soldiers and Danish civilians on and off the bases.

– The law is unconstitutional because it gives US authorities and soldiers authority over Danish civilians on Danish soil, says Scavenius.

The deal does not apply to Greenland, but according to Scavenius it could be detrimental to Denmark's position in negotiations with the US over the island. 

Frederiksen: The last word has not been said on Greenland

Regardless of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's more conciliatory tone, the issue of Greenland has not been resolved – the US claim remains, according to Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

– I believe that the US president's wish remains exactly the same, she says during the security conference in Munich, according to DR.

She also repeats the message that a NATO country attacking another would mean "game over" for the defense alliance.

Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen notes that Rubio did not mention Greenland at all in his speech, which he sees as a positive sign.

Republican senators clash over Greenland

The two Republican senators Thom Tillis and Lindsey Graham have gotten into a verbal spat about Greenland at the security conference in Munich, reports Politico.

– Who the hell cares who owns Greenland? Not me, Graham said on Friday.

The next day, Tillis gave a pass to his party colleague:

– The 85,000 indigenous people of Greenland care about who owns Greenland. It’s time we started showing them some respect.

Even though Americans sometimes get a little “cowboyish” and hot-headed in their rhetoric, there is a dislike for bullies built into the collective subconscious of the United States, Tillis continued. 

Security in Europe

Starmer: Europe must be ready to fight

Europe must be ready to fight if necessary, said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his speech at the Munich Security Conference, Reuters reports.

– It is clear that we must build raw power, because that is the currency of our time, said Starmer.

He stressed that Europe must be able to stand on its own two feet when it comes to both deterrence and defending its territory and values. At the same time, the United States continues to be an “indispensable ally,” said Starmer.

The tone was similar from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. She noted that security has not always been a priority issue in Europe.

– Europe needs to step up and take responsibility for its own security, she said.

UK to send aircraft carrier to Arctic

UK will send the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales to the Arctic region this year in a “powerful show of force [...] to counter Russian aggression and protect vital infrastructure below the surface”, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, according to AFP.

The so-called “Operation Firecrest” also involves the United States, Canada and other NATO allies. The battle group includes several warships, F-35 fighter jets and helicopters. Thousands of personnel from the British army, navy and air force are participating.

France has also announced that an aircraft carrier battle group will be sent to the region in 2026.
 

Economy

US-China Relations
Chinese giants deny military links

Alibaba, BYD and Baidu are hitting back at the Pentagon after the Chinese companies were added to the US list of companies with alleged links to the Chinese military, reports the Financial Times.

“Alibaba is not a Chinese military company and is not part of any military-civilian merger strategy. We will take all available legal measures against attempts to misrepresent our company,” the technology giant wrote in a comment.

Search engine company Baidu wrote that the Pentagon’s claim was “completely baseless and no evidence has been presented to prove the contrary.” Electric car giant BYD also denied any links to China’s military, writes the FT. 

The new space race
Space investments break records: Great interest

Space investments are increasing sharply as the costs of launching rockets and satellites have fallen. This is according to Tobias Edman, head of space technology at RISE.

– Right now, the interest is huge, he says in Ekonomiekot extra.

The falling costs have changed the playing field for the entire space industry, says astronaut Marcus Wandt, who is head of technology and strategy at Saab, to the radio. 

The agreement movement
Strike threat at Braathens called off – parties agree

The strike threat against Braathens has been called off after the Swedish Aviation Industry and the Swedish Pilots Association agreed on a new collective agreement. Negotiations have been ongoing since the agreement expired in March last year and have, among other things, concerned which company the pilots will be employed by.

– The agreement is good for both Braathens and the pilots and is more adapted to the company's current operations, says Linn Sidén, the Swedish Aviation Industry's head of negotiations, in a press release.

According to the parties, the cost increases are within the industry's mark for the 2025 agreement campaign.

The paradox of online dating: Profiting from eternal searching

Online dating has become a billion-dollar industry where listed companies profit from users' time and data. The business model is dependent on users continuing to search - not finding a partner.

– It is important to understand that there are two logics that collide, says political scientist Elsa Kugelberg to EFN.

Despite the criticism, the market is growing globally and is expected to have a turnover of close to 20 billion dollars in 2031.

Africa's growth

Meloni promises increased cooperation between Italy and Africa

On Friday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met dozens of African government leaders in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for the second Italian-African summit, reports the AP.

When Meloni was elected in 2022, reduced African migration and more independence from the EU were part of her election platform. In 2024, her government launched the so-called Mattei Plan in connection with the first African-Italian summit.

The plan aims to make Italy more independent from Brussels in terms of foreign policy, and to move from aid to investment-based cooperation to strengthen African economies and thereby reduce migration.

- We want to build things together [...] We want to take advantage of African wisdom, says Meloni.

Meloni: Climate-stricken countries will get debt relief

During the Italian-African summit in Addis Ababa, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni raised the issue of African countries' debts, writes Reuters.

- We have launched a broad initiative to convert debts into joint development projects. To this is added a clause to pause debt repayments for countries affected by extreme climate events, she says.

Meloni's government has made the so-called Mattei Plan for Africa a cornerstone of its foreign policy. It aims to make Italy more independent from the EU in terms of foreign policy and reduce migration through joint development projects with African countries.

 

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