Arctic News and Analysis
After reviving the ill-conceived concept of the US 'acquiring' Greenland earlier this year, the Trump administration this month that a special envoy to Nuuk would be appointed, over the objections of Greenland and Denmark. This backward strategy reflects a greater interest in Washington in creating a regional 'buffer zone' in the Western Hemisphere, threatening to further damage Arctic diplomacy.
This year's Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Reykjavík illustrated growing concerns about security and geopolitics in the high north. At the same time, the reduced presence of some major country delegations, and questions about the future of the ACA within Arctic policymaking, add to the questions about the role of 'Track II' diplomacy in the Arctic under the difficult political conditions seen today.
[Photo by Kevin Doyle via Unsplash] by Marc Lanteigne Much of the world is now bracing for yet another period of uncertainty and potential chaos in the wake of the election victory of Donald Trump in the United States last week. The incoming president’s previous foreign policy platforms were based on widespread disengagement and at… Continue reading A Sharp Right Turn: The Arctic Faces Trump 2.0
US Coast Guard icebreaker Healy docked in Tromsø, Norway, October 2023 [Photo by Marc Lanteigne] By Marc Lanteigne As the Arctic Ocean faces ongoing warming and the breakup of the far north’s ice cap, access to the region, and to its resources, have become a greater concern for Arctic and non-Arctic governments. Ice erosion in… Continue reading Icebreaker Chess? A New Polar Shipbuilding Deal Amongst NATO Members
Over the Circle 