Norway will hand over the leadership of an intergovernmental body, including what its foreign minister calls a “tough two years”, which has territories in the Arctic, during which the group has had unprecedented tensions among its members, linked to the threat of Russia seizing green spaces in Ukraine and Donald Trump.

The Arctic Council requires consensus among all eight Arctic countries, including Greenland and Sweden, to all eight Arctic countries.

Although seismic differences among its members are still positive and complete on a global scale (especially related to Russia, especially when Trump re-election, the United States).

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide will hand over to Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt at a meeting of the Council on Monday.

Denmark will take the presidency, but Copenhagen is trying to reset its relationship with Greenland, a former Danish colony that is being president after Trump's progress.

"It's hard to be frank for two years because of the global background, international background, that makes it impossible to have all business as usual," Ed told the Guardian. "However, we are very eager to unite the parliament and maintain its membership and activities, and we are happy to report that we have achieved this."

He acknowledged that their goals – including the ocean, the climate crisis and the people of the north – were limited, but said that the council, which was founded in 1996, has managed to maintain working relations since the full invasion of Ukraine.

“We were able to keep it together,” he said. “In contrast to some other formats, no one left, no one suggested that we shouldn’t continue our work, slowly, slowly, we were able to build some practical collaboration.”

As Trump continues to threaten to control Greenland, as well as volatility relations between the United States and its Arctic neighbours and changing dynamics between the United States and Russia, the next two years may face greater challenges. China is also a growing presence in the region.

Ed said the Council had managed to avoid politics further south for a long time, but the Ukrainian invasion has become impossible. Despite the changes, he believes that keeping Arctic unity is crucial.

“There is still a desire to maintain a complete Arctic Arctic Commission, where all Arctic countries are members,” he said. “There happens to be eight countries bordering the Arctic, they are all members, and we wouldn’t be happy if that was dispersed into different organizations.”

Nevertheless, Norway, like all Nordic countries, has changed considerably since the Cold War with both countries continuing to cooperate at the Barents maritime, which has changed dramatically with Russia's perception.

Just last week, Norway launched its first national security strategy ever in response to what it calls “the worst security situation in our country since World War II.”

Ed said they do not think the looming threat of attack is imminent, but "being prepared is due diligence", especially the world's nuclear weapons concentration "just outside our window" on Russia's Kora Peninsula.

He said violent conflict is unlikely to trigger in the Arctic, but the region could prove vital if there is “a greater international conflict between the East and the West.”

"Then the Arctic is very relevant because it is the shortest route for missiles and aircraft, etc. between Russia and North America, which has been on our radar."