For now at least, she’s won – Trump backed down on tariff threats, not just for Denmark but for all European countries that stood shoulder to shoulder with her.

But Frederiksen didn’t stop at diplomacy. Denmark matched rhetoric with money, committing around €3.7 billion to Arctic security and launching a broader rearmament drive covering new ships, surveillance aircraft and 16 additional F-35s.

Their defence spending is set to rise above 3% of GDP, the highest in decades – a calculated bid to rebut White House claims about Denmark’s ability to defend Greenland and to make itself indispensable in the Arctic.

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The Danish prime minister isn’t the only Nordic nation in the spotlight. Finnish president Alexander Stubb became a breakout star at Davos, the annual global economic forum, just days ago. He was the face of European independence.

“Can Europe defend itself? My answer is unequivocally yes,” he told Nato’s secretary general.

He backed it up: Finland, a country the size of Scotland, has 900,000 reservists, 280,000 troops, Europe’s largest artillery, and 4.4 million civilian shelter spaces. This was a masterclass in how small nations project power through preparation.

Iceland is also stirring interest on the European stage. After years of ambivalence about joining the European Union, its new prime minister, Kristrún Frostadóttir, has pledged to put the question of restarting EU accession talks to a national referendum by 2027 – and it seems the recent Greenland crisis is boosting support for Yes.

So while all eyes are on these small European nations, I can’t help but think about what kind of international partner Scotland would be with the full powers of independence.

But frankly, I shouldn’t be left to imagine it – we should be building that narrative now. These Nordic leaders understand something fundamental: small nations succeed through knowing their worth and articulating it clearly. They make themselves indispensable.

Scotland should be doing the same. Right now, across Europe, fundamental questions are being asked about the continent’s future. Scotland has the resources, the geography and the expertise. So what are we doing to match our capabilities with ambition and help Europe chart its own course in a new world order?

Earlier this month, I argued in this paper that Europe must become independent from the US in three strategic areas: defence, energy, and technology. Today, I want to argue that Scotland can scale up in each of these sectors and actively contribute to helping Europe futureproof its security and prosperity.

(Image: David Lundbye)

Take Arctic security. The Greenland crisis has made one thing crystal clear: the Arctic is far from remote – it’s strategically vital. Russia controls much of the coastline and is reopening Cold War-era bases, while China is quietly pushing its “Polar Silk Road”, trying to carve a path through Arctic shipping. Nato calls defending the High North a “strategic imperative”.

And Scotland sits right at the heart of this. The Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap, which we effectively anchor, is crucial for monitoring Russian submarines and protecting undersea cables.

We’re not peripheral to Arctic security – we’re central to it. Yet we have little say in how our geography is used strategically. Like Denmark, with independence, Scotland could be an active partner in Nato’s northern strategy – shaping Arctic policy alongside our Nordic neighbours.

On energy, this week, the EU banned Russian gas imports – LNG prohibited from early 2026, and all pipeline gas phased out by September 2027.

But Europe can’t simply replace Russian dependency with American dependency. Scotland’s hydrogen potential, for example, could help meet 10% of Europe’s demand by the mid-2030s.

We’re already building the infrastructure – the Scottish Government has a plan for hydrogen exports. With independence, Scotland could be accelerating and scaling up long-term energy partnerships directly with European nations, signing the supply contracts that Europe desperately needs.

On technology, Europe is slowly waking up to the idea of digital sovereignty. This week, France announced it plans to replace Teams and Zoom with “Visio,” a French platform, by 2027.

Scotland has real expertise here. Edinburgh’s School of Informatics is Europe’s largest, a global leader in AI and machine learning with deep roots in computational thinking that shaped the field. We should be positioning ourselves as one of Europe’s AI hubs – collaborating on tech platforms and building the infrastructure for digital independence.

Recent polling shows 73% of Scots want to rejoin the EU. But rejoining isn’t just about undoing Brexit – it’s about what we – Scotland – bring to the table. While Frederiksen announced billions in Arctic defence and Stubb affirmed at Davos that Europe must defend itself, Scotland’s commentariat debated boycotting the World Cup. We need to up our game.

The upcoming election should raise our sights. Let’s be clear about what Scotland could achieve with independence. Let’s demonstrate we understand Europe’s challenges and have real contributions to make. Small nations are shaping the future right now. Scotland must do the same – by articulating who we are and what we offer. Denmark acts. Finland leads. Iceland chooses its future. Scotland can do the same – if we’re bold enough to claim it.