You can’t begin to address some of the issues that we have there accessibility the Arctic: “You need to be able The United States to catch up, Neffenger suggests both tactical and strategicĪpproaches. It wasn’t necessarily meant to be provocative,
Military participated: “It was a very real demonstration of Russian intention Russia’s huge naval exercise in 2017 in which some 65,000 members of its In fact has been reestablishing presence in the Arctic.” Neffenger pointed to Is peaceful: “Russia, for some time, has been rebuilding its naval fleet, and “They both need each other inĭifferent ways, and there’s some benefit to them working together because theyĬan jointly reinforce each other’s claims to Arctic activity.” It’s an alliance of convenience,” says Neffenger. Paving the way for closer relations between Russia and China. That American oil companies pulled out of Arctic joint ventures with Russia, Of U.S.-led sanctions on Russia in the wake of its 2014 annexation of Crimea is Have yet to begin to truly explore their offshore resource capabilities there.” Interests are in the Arctic beyond environmental and indigenous peoples and To it.” Meanwhile, “The Canadians are still trying to determine what their Significant control over how its operated, how its managed and who has access “We don’t have a seat at the table when it comes toĬontinental shelf, seabed and transport issues.”įor Europe, Neffenger argues that “there isn’t a European Union approach to theĪrctic… Europe is going to have to start paying attention to it because ChinaĪnd Russia are developing the region jointly in a way that could give them has taken a wait-and-see attitude,” says Neffenger. And the U.S., to a large extent, has failed to engage in Warns that the United States and Europe have fallen far behind Russia and China. The icy tundra is now a geopolitical playing field where global powers are, with varying success, trying to stake a claim.Ĭoast Guard Vice Commandant Peter Neffenger, who spent four years craftingĪrctic strategy at the U.S. But as climate change opens new frontiers, the Arctic region is becoming the world’s hottest real estate.
President Donald Trump’s attempt to buy Greenland from Denmark was largely met with amusement and derision.
Greenland was ridiculed – but as the glaciers melt, a global battle for the