A new U.S. Defense Department Arctic Strategy sees growing uncertainty and tension in the region

[rangerrebew]

A new U.S. Defense Department Arctic Strategy sees growing uncertainty and tension in the region

The new document emphasizes competition from Russia and China — and doesn't mention climate change.
By
Malte Humpert, High North News -
June 7, 2019


The United States’ new Department of Defense (DoD) Arctic Strategy sees developments in the region as increasingly uncertain with “deepening and intensifying problematic strategic trends.” While it explains that there are many positive and cooperative tendencies in the Arctic, the new strategy highlights that the Arctic’s security environment is complex and that the region is in an “era of strategic competition.”

In contrast to previous Arctic strategy documents the U.S. now sees the region as a corridor between the Indo-Pacific and European theaters of strategic engagement and explains that it is “an avenue for great power competition and aggression.”

The document continues the U.S.’ approach of singling out Russian and especially Chinese activity in the region — most recently by Secretary of State Pompeo at the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting in Rovaniemi last month. While previous Arctic documents made little mention of China, the country’s activities receive special attention in the updated strategy.

https://www.arctictoday.com/a-new-u-s-defense-department-arctic-strategy-sees-growing-uncertainty-and-tension-in-the-region/