Pentagon unveils arctic strategy bolstered by new high north NATO allies Finland, Sweden
The new strategy comes as the US, Canada and Finland embark on a new strategic agreement to build ice-breaking ships.
By JUSTIN KATZ
on July 22, 2024 at 3:06 PM
Senior leaders from US Army Alaska travel from one training area to another training spot on snowshoes at Black Rapids Training Site Nov 17 as a part of their Cold Weather Orientation Course. (Sgt. Christopher Dennis/US Army)
WASHINGTON — Fresh off a NATO Summit featuring two new members hailing from the high north, the Pentagon today released its newest strategic document outlining the need for both the US and its allies to curb Russian and Chinese ambitions in the arctic.
The new document, the 2024 National Strategy for the Arctic Region, warns that both Moscow and Beijing are increasingly working together to facilitate their activities in the north, particularly in the wake of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine.
“Increasingly, the PRC and Russia are collaborating in the Arctic across multiple instruments of national power,” according to the document. “Russia’s isolation as a result of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine has made it increasingly reliant on the PRC for financing energy export infrastructure in the Arctic. Over 80 percent of Russia’s natural gas production and nearly 20 percent of its petroleum production comes from the Arctic, and Russia is increasingly turning to the PRC to fund this extraction and purchase these resources.”
https://breakingdefense.com/2024/07/pentagon-unveils-arctic-strategy-bolstered-by-new-high-north-nato-allies-finland-sweden/
