282 - Erik Solheim, Chief Negotiator, Diplomat, Minister, Political Figure: Special New Years Episode - Norway Government & Multiple Boards - Happy New Year? Not So Greenꪶꪖꪀᦔ on International Law

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Heads Talk ®
282 - Erik Solheim, Chief Negotiator, Diplomat, Minister, Political Figure: Special New Years Episode - Norway Government & Multiple Boards - Happy New Year? Not So Greenꪶꪖꪀᦔ on International Law
Jan 12, 2026 Episode 282
Elaine Pringle Schwitter

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Episode Title:🇳🇴Happy New Year? Not So Greenꪶꪖꪀᦔ on International Law🇳🇴

Heads Talk® is currently on a scheduled break, but this episode was released out of necessity. The timing, severity, and geopolitical significance of recent events made this a conversation that could not wait.

My guest, Erik Solheim, is no stranger to the Executive Podcast. A statesman, former Norwegian minister, chief negotiator, and diplomat, Erik has led peace processes, shaped global environmental policy, and worked at the highest levels of international governance. Few voices are better placed to offer clarity at this moment.

This episode is a candid  analytical debate about where the world is heading, what has changed, and what we should realistically look forward to. It examines geopolitics as it is, not as we wish it to be, and how nations, institutions, and citizens navigate an increasingly uncertain global landscape. Serious questions, serious counsel, but also clarity, perspective, and a reminder that understanding is still our first line of defence.

Topics Covered:
◽️Greenland's Strategic Importance and Arctic Question of Sovereignty, Self-Determination and Great-Power Pressure
◽️Greenland, a Systemic Stress Test. What It Reveals About the Resilience of the Global Order
◽️Cracks in the Post-1945 System, Weakening of Territorial Integrity and Non-Interference
◽️Decline of Soft Power. Why Reputational and Normative Deterrence No Longer Restrain States
◽️Disruption in US Foreign Policy, Reshaping of Global Norms Through Power Projection
◽️Psychological Signalling in Geopolitics, How Fear, Symbolism and Messaging Shape Outcomes
◽️International Law, Borders and Sovereignty as Foundations of Global Stability
◽️Venezuela as a Test Case for Intervention, Resources and Regional Power Dynamics
◽️Multipolar Reality as the US, China, Russia and India Recalibrate Influence
◽️Arctic Dimension, Russia’s Strategic Interests in a Warming, Contested Region
◽️US Strategy in Latin America and China’s Expanding Influence Across the Global South
◽️LATAM’s Reassessment of External Engagement in a Shifting Global Landscape
◽️Institutional Hollowing and Whether NATO, the UN and Others Still Constrain Power
◽️Europe at a Strategic Crossroads. Challenge of Autonomy, Confidence and Global Relevance
◽️Future of the World Order and Whether the Erosion of the Current System Is a Risk, a Reset, Welcomed or an Inevitable Evolution

Erik's recent post discussed here:- 

NB: Audio quality varies slightly: recorded from different locations across the globe. Given the urgency, it was a conversation worth having now.

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