Shaped by the existing geopolitical dynamics, the Arctic region is coming under a lot of pressure from global powers. Russia and China, on the one hand, are seeking to integrate this region via what China calls a “Polar Silk Road” – something that would make the region’s fossil fuels accessible worldwide. But the US is increasingly worried about these developments. It primarily sees these developments from a zero-sum perspective, with any gains that the Russia-China duo makes directly – and necessarily – translating into Washington’s losses. To avert this possibility, the US has released its ‘2024 Arctic Strategy’. This strategy is little more than a usual charge sheet, presenting Russia and China as destabilizing powers. This, however, is just another way of justifying the region’s militarization.

Washington’s “2024 Arctic Strategy” notes the recent Russian military buildup in the Arctic. But this has a context. More importantly, this pronouncement comes against the backdrop of the Arctic Council’s suspension of ties with Russia in 2022. The decision was taken in light of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, but it was this decision that also pushed Russia towards China for deeper cooperation. Let’s not forget that, until the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine military conflict, the Arctic was not a NATOized region. But Sweden and Finland, two key Arctic states, have also joined NATO, leaving Russia with no option but to coordinate with China. But China’s presence in the Arctic is now making the US........

© New Eastern Outlook