Rasmussen Global has signed an advisory agreement with Toronto, Canada-headquartered Greenland Resources to help advance the company’s Malmbjerg project in eastern Greenland with potential sources of funding from strategic defence funds

Molybdenum, used mainly in steel and chemicals, is a critical metal for various technologies, and demand for it is expected to increase as countries around the world undertake the green energy transition. When added to steel and cast iron, molybdenum enhances strength, hardenability, weldability, temperature strength, and corrosion resistance—all of which have significant benefits for military purposes.

Currently, the European Union is the second largest molybdenum user in the world but has no molybdenum production of its own. Based on the company’s feasibility study, it can supply some 25% of the EU’s total molybdenum demand for decades to come. The Malmbjerg project also has the potential to supply magnesium to the EU as a by-product of molybdenum production. Currently, the EU buys 98% of its magnesium from China.

Rasmussen Global’s partnership with Greenland Resources builds on our long record of work in the critical raw materials and defence sectors. With a team of experts with decades of experience spanning both sides of the Atlantic, we are uniquely positioned to help companies looking to play a leading role in the global race for critical raw materials.

-30-

About Rasmussen Global

Rasmussen Global was founded in 2014 by Anders Fogh Rasmussen following his time as Secretary General of NATO. With decades of experience at the highest levels in key capitals, European institutions, NATO, and governments on both sides of the Atlantic, Rasmussen Global advises clients on transatlantic issues, international affairs, and public policy.

Former NATO Secretary General recommends new transatlantic burden-sharing formula following Donald Trump’s re-election

For immediate release:

Anders Fogh Rasmussen today presented recommendations for a new European security plan for Ukraine.

Following the re-election of US president Donald Trump, Mr. Rasmussen argues that an acceptable resolution to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will require Europe and Ukraine to together strike a mutually beneficial deal with the president-elect. This agreement must be defined by a renewed burden-sharing formula that would see Europe assuming greater responsibility for European and Ukrainian security—both now and in the future.

Key recommendations from Mr. Rasmussen’s proposal include:

• A gradual transition from a roughly 50-50 burden-sharing formula in Ukraine to one which would see Europe assuming 70 per cent of the costs associated with Ukraine’s short- and long-term security.
• A European led train-and-advise mission in western Ukraine as both immediate support for Ukraine and a long-term demonstration of Europe’s commitment to leading future peace-enforcement deployments.
• An increase of NATO’s defence spending target to three per cent of GDP, and a commitment that 0.5 per cent of allies’ GDP would be spent on support for Ukraine.
• Robust European-backed security guarantees for Ukraine as an interim measure prior to Ukraine’s NATO accession.
• The replacement of all Russian LNG imports to Europe with imports primarily from the United States.

Speaking in Brussels following the release of his recommendations, Mr. Rasmussen said:

“Europe faces an existential threat. The security model that has underpinned peace and prosperity in Europe for decades no longer exists—and it is not coming back. Europe urgently needs a security plan that can counter Russia’s aggression, help secure a sustainable peace in Ukraine, and keep the United States engaged in the transatlantic alliance.”

Mr. Rasmussen’s full proposal can be found here.

-30-

For media: media@rasmussenglobal.com

Sanctions are a vital tool in targeting Russia’s war capabilities.

The EU progressively imposed sanctions against Russia following the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, and in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the EU adopted new, sweeping sanctions against Moscow.

However, Russia has been effective at devising schemes for restoring supply chains interrupted by sanctions.

Our sanctions experts at Rasmussen Global have been tracking and shaping the EU’s evolving sanctions regime since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In our latest paper, we outline opportunities for strengthening Europe’s sanctions regime, and propose new areas to target in order to deprive the Kremlin of the funding it needs to continue its war in Ukraine.

To read the paper, please click here: Rasmussen Global – Sanctions Memo – Fall 2024

Open letter from Anders Fogh Rasmussen and members of the Friends of Armenia Network ahead of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan

To Those Attending COP29 In Baku,

The irony of the world’s most important climate conference being held in Baku will certainly not be lost on you. Fossil fuels represent 90 per cent of all Azeri exports.

But this year’s COP must not be a repeat of 2023’s greenwashing exercise in Dubai.

Last year, Azerbaijan’s autocratic regime launched a military offensive against the ethnic-Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, leading to the cleansing of approximately 120,000 ethnic Armenians. Following a 2022 incursion into Armenia, Azerbaijan occupies more than 200 sq. kilometers of territory of the Republic of Armenia.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s internal repression continues to intensify, with well-documented crackdowns on activists and opposition groups. Azerbaijan has also refused to release Armenian prisoners of war, despite international calls for their repatriation.

Despite peace talks between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Baku has recently ground negotiations to a halt with increasing demands for concessions from Armenia.

President Aliyev has continued to escalate his rhetoric, having repeatedly described the Republic of Armenia as “western Azerbaijan,” and is drawing closer to Russia, who did nothing as Azerbaijan attacked Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023.

Despite this, and in the face of Armenia’s historic military and economic reliance on Russia, Prime Minister Pashinyan has made the bold decision to consolidate Armenian democracy and seek closer ties with the west—work that we are proud to support.

Yerevan has organized military exercises with the United States, sought new economic ties with Europe, ratified the ICC Rome Statute, and announced its intention to leave the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Russia’s post-Soviet answer to NATO. At a difficult moment for global democracy, Armenia—living in the long shadows of Russia, Turkey, and Iran—is a rare bright spot.

However, cementing Armenia’s democratic foundations and securing a lasting peace in the South Caucasus will ultimately require Europe to play a more concerted role—including at COP29.

Earlier this year, European leaders took a significant step by agreeing to use funds from the European Peace Facility to provide non-lethal defensive equipment to Armenia. More should now follow to enhance Armenia’s deterrence capabilities and lessen its dependence on Russia.

Lethal military aid, joint exercises between European and Armenian forces, and the significant expansion of the EU monitoring mission along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border would be welcome, important, and timely steps towards strengthening Armenia’s defensive capabilities and preventing future Azeri hostility. Europe should also liberalize trade in the service sector with Armenia, which has significant untapped potential.

These proposals form the foundation of a report we authored earlier this year on how to deepen ties between Europe and Armenia.

But equally important this November is the need for those of you attending COP29 to stand up for the values that Europe represents.

Europe has long viewed itself as a neutral arbiter between Azerbaijan and Armenia—but that approach is no longer fit for purpose.

In visiting Baku, you must shine a light on Azerbaijan’s repression at home. You must stand up for democratic Armenia and make clear that Azerbaijan’s hostility is unacceptable—and that further aggression against Armenia would have severe consequences.

Europe remains a major trading partner for Azerbaijan. We have leverage—and we must use it. This must include making clear to Baku that the time has come to reach an agreement for a sustainable peace with Armenia, to secure the safe and dignified return of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and the immediate release of all Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan.

Peace would open the door to new economic opportunities across the South Caucasus. The Armenian government has proposed a “Crossroads of Peace” of energy, transport, and logistics connections across the South Caucasus, which if implemented, could bring significant economic benefits for Europe while advancing the cause of peace in the region.

A peace agreement would reduce Russia’s influence and lay the foundation for Armenia’s continued westward trajectory. But most importantly, an agreement would help usher in a new era of prosperity and security for both Armenians and Azeris at a time when the people of both countries are looking to turn the page on decades of conflict and hostility.

The Aliyev regime have said they want this year’s climate summit to be a “COP of Peace.”

You must make clear to Azerbaijan that a “COP of Peace” must begin by agreeing a lasting peace with Armenia.

Sincerely yours,

As members of the Friends of Armenia Network

Anders Fogh Rasmussen: Secretary General of NATO (2009-2014), Prime Minister of Denmark (2001-2009)

Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz: Member of the European Parliament (2019-…), Prime Minister of Poland (1996-1997), Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (2001-2005)

Charles Flanagan: Member of the Irish Oireachtas (2020-…), Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence (2020-…), Ireland’s Minister of Justice (2017-2020), Ireland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (2014-2017)

Raimundas Lopata: Member of the Lithuanian Seimas (2020-…), Chair of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with Armenia (2020-…)

Dietmar Nietan: Member of the German Bundestag (1998-2002, 2005-…), Treasurer of the Social Democratic Party.

Following Russia’s illegal 2022 invasion of Ukraine, President Volodomyr Zelenskyy asked Anders Fogh Rasmussen to co-lead with his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, an international working group on long-term security commitments for Ukraine. 

The resulting Kyiv Security Compact—a proposal for a web of international security guarantees for Ukraine—became the foundation of a G7 joint declaration on security guarantees co-signed by NATO allies at the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius. 23 allies of Ukraine have since signed comprehensive, long-term security agreements, including the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. At the 2024 NATO Summit in Washington, these agreements were formalized in the Ukraine Compact, bringing to life the vision proposed by Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Andriy Yermak. 

While the security agreements outlined in the Ukraine Compact are not a replacement for Ukraine’s future in NATO, they will serve as an important bridge to membership and are unparalleled in modern history. 

Below, you can find an overview of the different Capability Coalitions, as well as a document containing links to the individual security agreements between Ukraine and its allies. 

To access links to individual security agreements, please click here.