Luxembourg

Germany

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France

Belgium

Netherlands

Military & Security

Politics

Berlin announced that the country will extend border controls with France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark for at least another six months to ''further restrict irregular immigration'', reported the Financial Times on Sept. 9.

Germany: Berlin Extends Temporary Immigration Controls to All Land Borders

United States

Ukraine

Russia

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The U.S., Dutch and Danish governments said the first F-16 fighter jets would be delivered to Ukraine and fly later this summer, The Wall Street Journal reported on July 10.

Ukraine: First F-16 Fighter Jets Will Fly Later This Summer

Lithuania

Malta

Finland

Latvia

Czech Republic

Greece

Estonia

Sweden

Bulgaria

Portugal

Poland

Romania

Croatia

Cyprus

Austria

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Italy

Ireland

Hungary

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The European Commission recommended reducing the European Union's net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared with 1990 levels, Reuters reported Feb. 6. 

EU: Brussels to Exclude Agriculture from 90% Emissions Reduction Target for 2040

European Union member states unanimously agreed to a 50 billion euro ($54 billion) financial support package for Ukraine as part of their joint budget through 2027, for which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban lifted his veto on the initiative, Reuters reported Feb. 1.

EU, Ukraine: EU Leaders Unanimously Agree to New 50 Billion Euro Aid Package for Kyiv

Negotiators from EU member states and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement to overhaul the bloc's asylum and migration rules, Reuters reported on Dec. 20.

EU: Bloc's Institutions Reach Agreements on New Asylum and Migration Rules

Denmark will sign a bilateral defense cooperation agreement with the United States that will allow U.S. soldiers and military equipment to be based on Danish territory, Reuters reported on Dec. 19.

U.S., Denmark: Governments to Sign Defense Agreement

The European Union is "unlikely" or "very unlikely" to meet most of its 2030 green objectives, according to the latest report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) published Dec. 18.

EU: Bloc to Miss Most of its 2030 Climate Goals

Georgia

The European Council voted to grant EU candidate status to Georgia, and both government officials and opposition politicians in Georgia praised the decision, Civil Georgia reported on Dec. 14. 

Georgia: European Commission Recommends Georgia for EU Candidate Status

Assessments

Europe

Norway

Hungarian police officers check cars at the Nickelsdorf-Hegyeshalom border crossing on the Austrian-Hungarian border on March 18, 2020. 

Increasing levels of migration, terrorism activity and Russian aggression in Europe are driving Schengen countries to tighten their border controls, heralding a more spotty functioning of the passport-free travel zone.

Growing Border Controls Threaten Europe's Schengen Area

Snapshots

An apartment block damaged when a gang-related bomb exploded early Feb. 2 in Sundbyberg, Sweden. Persistently high and increasingly politicized violent crime rates in Sweden could negatively affect the country's political stability, international reputation, social cohesion and economic growth.

If unresolved, rising violent criminal activity could exacerbate social tensions, cause political instability and lead to a gradual deterioration of the country's business environment.

Persistent Gang Violence in Sweden Threatens Political Stability and the Economy

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Israeli and EU Flags

Israel-Hamas Conflict

A lack of a unified EU response to the Israel-Hamas War highlights divisions among member states' foreign policies, complicating the bloc's plans to play a meaningful role in the conflict, as well as efforts to maintain unified support for Ukraine.

Israel-Hamas War Highlights Divisions Among EU Member States

Rail cars loaded with steel sit at the ThyssenKrupp Schwelgern steel plant on May 30, 2018 in Duisburg, Germany. 

Economics

The European Union and the United States will increase efforts to deconflict their trade and climate policies ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential and EU parliamentary elections, but lingering disagreements will not allow for a complete respite of Trump-era tariffs on EU steel and aluminum.

EU-U.S. Steel and Aluminum Negotiations Make Limited Headway

Iran

A Norweigan coast guard ship patrols the waters surrounding an  offshore gas platform in the Troll gas field off the west coast of Norway.

Cyber

Energy

With its natural gas exports to Europe now nearing zero, Moscow may start targeting the continent's maritime oil and gas industry via cyberattacks and physical strikes. 

The Nord Stream Leaks Set a Precedent for Russian Attacks on Europe's Energy Infrastructure

(L to R) Sweden's foreign minister, prime minister and defense minister hold a press conference in Stockholm on the gas leak found on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in the Baltic Sea on Sept. 27, 2022. 

The apparent pipeline attack signals Russia's willingness to sever Europe's gas supplies this winter, which would have lasting economic consequences even if European leaders are able to mitigate the short-term impact.

Nord Stream 1 Gas Leaks Spell Gloom, but Not Doom, for Europe’s Energy Woes

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks to journalists in Copenhagen on June 1, 2022, after the initial results of a historic referendum on Denmark's EU defense opt-out were announced.

Security

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

European Disintegration

The historic decision will complete the EU's security architecture and consolidate Nordic countries' influence over European military affairs as the war in Ukraine rages on.

The Significance of Denmark Ending Its EU Defense Opt-Out

Columns

On Geopolitics

Canada

China

Iceland

Polar bears in Essen Bay off the coast of Zemlya Georga -- an island in the Franz Josef Land archipelago -- on August 22, 2021.

China in Transition

The suspension of Arctic Council activities following Russia's re-invasion of Ukraine presents an opening for China to challenge Arctic governance.

China's Opportunity to Break Into Arctic Governance

Media

Podcasts

In this episode of RANE's Essential Geopolitics podcast, powered by Stratfor, Stratfor Senior Global Security Analyst at RANE Ben West explains who really benefitted from the U.S.-Denmark intelligence gathering.

Essential Geopolitics: The Danish-U.S. Spying Report Explained

Greenland

Voters stand in line to cast their ballots in the parliamentary election in Greenland's capital of Nuuk on April 6, 2021. 

Supply Chains

Environmental Issues

Greenland’s new left-wing government will only briefly delay mining operations, as the island’s rare earth reserves become increasingly key to its economic independence.

Pro-Environment Politics Won’t Deter Demand for Greenland's Resources

United Kingdom

COVID-19

Brexit

The watering down of initial proposals for the COVID-19 relief package shows that fault lines within the bloc still run deep and will continue to create problems during future crises.

The EU Reaches a Landmark Recovery Fund Deal, but Divisions Remain

A crane moves Nord Stream 2 pipes at a port near Sassnitz, Germany, on June 5, 2019. 

The Politics of Pipelines

The removal of technical requirements for operating in Danish waters will enable Russia to complete the pipeline's construction, but a new round of proposed U.S. sanctions could still thwart progress.

Nord Stream 2 Overcomes One Hurdle Only to Be Met With Another

Denmark is a Scandinavian nation in Northern Europe. It consists of the peninsula of Jutland, most of which is flat, as well as hundreds of islands of varying sizes. Denmark’s main city and capital, Copenhagen, is located on the island of Zealand. The Kingdom of Denmark also includes two self-governing territories: Greenland and the Faroe Islands. With an open and exports-focused economy, Denmark has one of the world's highest per capita incomes.    Denmark traditionally has sought to exert control over the Baltic Sea and, to a lesser extent, the North Sea. Starting in the eighth century, Vikings from Denmark raided and traded throughout Europe, conquering parts of England, France and Sweden, among others. In the late 14th century, Denmark entered a personal union with Norway and Sweden. The centuries that followed were marked by competition between Denmark and Sweden for regional control, though Denmark was often also involved in fights with its German neighbors to the south.    Denmark's strategic position on the Jutland Peninsula allows it, along with Sweden, to control the Skagerrak and Kattegat straits, and thus all traffic into and out of the Baltic Sea. This control is economically and militarily relevant, because the straits are the only outlet connecting the Baltic Sea to the global maritime system. In addition, Greenland is part of the so-called GIUK gap, an area in the North Atlantic between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom that forms a naval choke point. Greenland also gives Denmark a role on Arctic affairs, an area of increasing competition among great powers like Russia, China and the United States.    After World War II, Denmark became a founding member of NATO. However, Copenhagen decided not to join the European Economic Community (the European Union’s predecessor), opting instead to deepen political and economic cooperation with its neighbors in the north through institutions such as the Nordic Council and the European Free Trade Association. Denmark eventually joined the European Economic Community, but it is not a member of the eurozone and opted out from cooperation on some justice and defense affairs. While modern Denmark has chosen cooperation over confrontation with its neighbors, finding a balance between its Nordic and European interests remains a challenge for the country.

SITUATION REPORTS

Germany: Berlin Extends Temporary Immigration Controls to All Land Borders

Ukraine: First F-16 Fighter Jets Will Fly Later This Summer

EU: Brussels to Exclude Agriculture from 90% Emissions Reduction Target for 2040

EU, Ukraine: EU Leaders Unanimously Agree to New 50 Billion Euro Aid Package for Kyiv

EU: Bloc's Institutions Reach Agreements on New Asylum and Migration Rules

U.S., Denmark: Governments to Sign Defense Agreement

EU: Bloc to Miss Most of its 2030 Climate Goals

Georgia: European Commission Recommends Georgia for EU Candidate Status

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