by Mingming Shi
1) The Arctic Council’s website published a long-read article on the impact of massive mortality of Arctic seabirds on the ecosystem. In early 2026, thousands of seabirds were reported dead or dying along the Atlantic coast in Europe. These included puffins, an iconic bird commonly found in Iceland in summer time. According to scientists, this is caused by ongoing global climate change and recent extreme weather conditions in the Arctic. In their migration from the mainland of Europe to the high north, many birds had been suffering from starvation and exhaustion because of fewer supplies of food and severe storms. The loss of these seabirds does harm to other animals and even human beings in the food chains in the region.
2) As was widely reported, the President of the United States further expressed his frustrations towards both NATO and Greenland, given that the alliance, established during the Cold War for defence, did not back his acquiring the Arctic island, and this was followed no NATO member agreeing to join the US-Israel war on Iran. The presidential statements, unsurprisingly, provoked very negative and assertive responses from Greenland officials, including Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen.
3) Over the Circle published a commentary on the signing by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Svalbard Treaty. The country became the forty-ninth signatory of the treaty, at a time when the UAE has been greatly expanding its scientific interests at both poles. The Emirates are also a member of the BRICS+ grouping, which itself has begun to develop an Arctic policy distinct from that of the West.
4) According to the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service (RÚV), a recent poll suggests the percentage of Iceland’s citizens opposed to its potential membership in the European Union has surpassed the percentage of those expressing support. Meanwhile, there is still a small fraction who prefer to take a wait-and-see attitude. This outcome reflects an increase in the number of negative responses to EU integration, four-and-a half-months before the referendum to decide on whether to continue accession talks with the organisation.
Over the Circle 