President Joe Biden’s administration has created a new campaign to combat Russia’s numerous attempts to gain more control over the Arctic. In recent years, Russia has continued to look for authority over Arctic shipping and shown interest in reintroducing a military dimension to discussions over international activity in the area. The Russian efforts are reflective of the United States government’s concerns with a rapid increase in both the military and commercial activity of Russia in the region of the Arctic. In addition, it is creating more general concern regarding the effects of climate change in the area. Some NATO allies have expressed their concern with these activities as well, but Russia has spoken out about their similar suspicions about the motives of NATO.
While Russia is pushing to commercialize and use the Arctic to their advantage, other countries are recognizing the more important issues that need to be dealt with first in the region. Seeing as many foreign leaders were forming their opinions on Russia’s plans, the Biden administration was met with its first bilateral in-person contact with Russia. The meeting included the Arctic Council and took place in Reykjavik, Iceland. The council, formed in 1996, was made up of eight different nations, each with territorial interests in the Arctic Circle. Additionally, the council is supposed to represent the Indigenous population in the Arctic. Iceland is the council’s current chair, to be followed by Russia. At the Iceland meeting, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced his opinion that the council should maintain its center focus on peaceful cooperation on environmental issues and the well-being of indigenous people living in the Arctic. According to ABC News, Blinken was quoted saying, “The Arctic is a region for strategic competition that has seized the world’s attention. But the Arctic is more than a strategically or economically significant region. It’s home to our people, its hallmark has been and must remain peaceful cooperation. It’s our responsibility to protect that peaceful cooperation and to build on it.” The Arctic is meant to be a region free of conflict where countries should act responsibly. He believes that it is the council’s responsibility to make sure that this fact remains true forever.
Antony J. Blinken and his counterpart, Sergei Lavrov quickly spoke to reporters and emphasized their differences and the promise that their respective governments were willing to aggressively defend its interests. Despite their clearly differing opinions, Blinken added, “there are many areas where our interests intersect and overlap and we believe that we can work together and indeed build on those interests. We seek a predictable, stable relationship with Russia.” He included that the two countries held similar views on issues such as the pandemic and the climate change crisis. The U.S. Secretary of State was also sure to be critical of Russia’s advances in the Arctic. He pointed out that Moscow has violated international maritime law by attempting to restrict the transit of other nations’ shipping vessels. They have also refused to submit its regulatory schemes to the world body of the International Maritime Organization. Blinken also announced that the administration decided to waive sanctions on building Nord Stream 2, a Russian gas pipeline, from the Arctic to Germany. This decision appeared to anger some Americans who believed that it was a gift to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Blinken’s concerns and desires are seemingly being echoed by several other foreign ministers, some of which include those from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Canada. They have spoken out about their beliefs that the Arctic should remain free of conflict. They believe that the region should be under the authority of international relations, rather than that of individual countries like Russia. Additionally, James Stotts of the Inuit Circumpolar Council stated, “We are concerned over the level of recent angry and provocative rhetoric. We do not want to see our homeland turned into a region of competition and conflict.” Representatives of indigenous groups in the Arctic are trying their best to get their voices heard, as the indigenous Arctic populations are being directly affected by the decisions made in regard to the region. Along with the effects of the government’s choices in the Arctic on the indigenous population, the effects on the environment are undeniable and need to be monitored closely. The region of the Arctic is warming at three times the rate of the rest of the planet, thawing permafrost, the ground that has been frozen for centuries, and horrifically damaging the wildlife of the area. Arctic analyst at the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute Marisol Maddox stated, “The ice cap on the top of the world is getting smaller and thinner.” There is great concern with the effects of global warming on the Arctic.
The Arctic is already melting at a rapid rate due to the effects of intense climate change. This fact has presented Russia with the opportunity to push its military apparatus, with bomber aircrafts and radar and missile batteries, deeper into the geopolitical hotspot. Russia wants to gradually take control of the newly freed-up shipping lanes and gain access to the plethora of mineral resources. Russia declared most of the Arctic to be Russian territory. First and foremost, the planet must be protected. If we lose the planet, all of the work will be for nothing.
Biden also made a strong case for fair maritime rules in the melting region. The president has advocated for building up the U.S. naval fleet of vessels that can make way through ice-filed waters and believes that there should be strict rules put in place so that one nation isn’t able to try to change the agenda and throw everything off balance. Many have insisted that the main priority should be keeping things peaceful in the Arctic. In a commencement address at the Coast Guard Academy, Biden declared, “We, the United States, are an Arctic nation. The United States must demonstrate our leadership and engagement.”
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