Greenlander Takes Helm of Arctic Council as Tensions Simmer

When Kenneth Hoegh, a native Greenlander, thinks about the Arctic these days, he tries to focus on the common ground between countries rather than the increasingly fraught political relationships among Arctic nations — including between his own territory and the United States.

It’s a difficult but essential mindset as he steps up to lead the operations of the Arctic Council, the preeminent body tasked with maintaining multilateral cooperation in the Arctic. Hoegh, who is also the Kingdom of Denmark’s Arctic ambassador, is taking over as chair of the council’s senior Arctic officials, diplomats who guide its activities.

Kenneth Hoegh

Jessica Cook/Arctic Council Secretariat

The Monday handover comes at a ...