On Thursday politicians, scientists and environmentalists gathered in Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, for the Arctic Circle Assembly. The annual summit bills itself as the world’s largest gathering on Arctic affairs. Global powers long considered the region a semi-neutral zone—the main debates were about climate change and fragile ecosystems. Now geopolitics is high on the agenda. Donald Trump talks of a contest with China and Russia for Arctic dominance. To strengthen America’s position, the president has suggested making Canada the 51st state and annexing Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory.
But he may be looking in the wrong direction. True, Chinese icebreakers have shown up off Greenland; Russian activities near Svalbard, a Norwegian Arctic archipelago, cause concern. But NATO has strong defences in the North Atlantic. A greater challenge is in the North Pacific. Chinese and Russian planes and warships patrol the seas and skies near Alaska. If Mr Trump wants to project Arctic power, he may need to bolster America’s remote north-west.
|
