The Economist.
Hello and welcome to The Intelligence from The Economist.
I'm your host, Jason Palmer.
Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.
And today, a special episode on the events that are quietly shaping the top of the world.
When Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet tomorrow in Alaska,
the principal talking point will, of course, be a ceasefire in Ukraine.
But our reporting suggests that more will be on the table,
like normalization of America's relations with Russia or cooperation in the Arctic over,
say, energy.
Diplomatically, that's a bigger deal than you might imagine.
One way or another, the war will end.
And as we've said before, the question, in particular for European leaders,
is where the next flashpoint for Russian aggression will be.
There's some chance the answer is off the European mainland, to the extreme north.
Roads in Longyearbyen, the most northerly settlement on the planet,
are usually only blocked by reindeer.
But today they are jammed with visiting dignitaries.
Adam Roberts is The Economist's digital editor.
Norway's Prime Minister, Jørn Asgard Støre, along with the Crown Prince and other officials,