On Tuesday, the Pentagon released a new strategy for the Arctic that called for an increased US military presence in the region to confront Russia and China.
The Pentagon said the Arctic is increasingly becoming an area of “strategic competition,” and the strategy outlines a plan to “enhance” US military capabilities in the region and conduct military exercises, including those with NATO allies.
With Sweden and Finland joining NATO, all Arctic countries are now members of the alliance except for Russia, which has the largest Arctic coastline.
“The accession of new NATO Allies and the strengthening of the alliance opens strategic opportunities and supports critical objectives in the [2022 National Strategy for the Arctic Region]. The Arctic serves as an avenue for power projection to Europe and is vital to the defense of Atlantic sea lines of communication between North America and Europe,” the strategy reads.
While China is not an Arctic nation, the strategy spends a lot of time on Beijing and accuses the country of “attempting to leverage changing dynamics in the Arctic to pursue greater influence and access, take advantage of Arctic resources, and play a larger role in regional governance.”
The strategy also warned that China and Russia are increasing their cooperation in the Arctic and said their activities have opened the door for a greater Chinese presence in the region.
In a press conference announcing the strategy, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said the Chinese activity was concerning to the US “given that it’s the only strategic competitor with the will and increasingly the wherewithal to remake the international order.”
Her comments and the strategy reflect the Pentagon’s view that China is the most significant “threat” facing the US, with Russia coming in second.
The new strategy came after Russia said that it intercepted two American B-52 bombers near its territorial border over the Barents Sea in the Arctic. Such incidents will likely become more common as the US and NATO are planning to increase military patrols in the region, which will add to the ever-growing tensions with Russia.
Oh Yes! USA! USA! USA! Do let's go soil, with our troops, trash, weapons, dead bodies & other detritus, the last pristine territory on this poor forsaken planet to which we'll surely deliver an ELE sooner or later.
Sure would be nice for the President to address the nation. A lot is going on here and I'm not too comfortable with it.
He’ll probably pop out to praise Netanyahu in the genocide of Palestinians and the heroic support of the US in this endeavor.
No, please, the less heard from President Mushbrain, the better.
Alaska is one big Military Base, so what more is needed?
The US military is like malignant cancer. It keeps spreading and destroying life everywhere.
It's too late. That ship sailed a long time ago.
By 2022, Russia already had far more Arctic military bases than the US and NATO combined. Also, China and Russia have already developed the Northern Sea Route which will become the key global sea passage within a decade.
BTW – the Russians and Chinese did all this right under the noses of both the Obama (2008-2016) and Biden regimes (2020 – to date), and while the Obama / Biden cartel undermined the Trump presidency.
Failures on every front and the World Domination Project marches on.
…. “becoming an area of “strategic competition” — and you mediocre midgets can’t compete but behind a gun butt. Metaphorically of course, I should have said behind a trillion$ army to be on point.
…. [China] “is the only strategic competitor with the will and increasingly the wherewithal to remake the international order.” Thank God, the faster the better, given what you exploitive imperialists and your privileged, self-defined and unwritten, Rules-Based-Order have made of the institutions intended to prevent centuries wrongs from recurring. But your RBO shifted on it’s axis last week and I don’t mean the failed assassination I’d wager a world majority believes you orchestrated. And why not, you’ve attempted or accomplished similar in at least 80 countries.
No, I mean the ICJ’s advisory ruling on the illegalities of Israel’s 57-year occupation of Palestine (boy-o-boy-o those reparations are really gonna be a bitch) that has put your heads in the pillory, the blade will have a slow fall, but fall it will and full speed ahead somehow, you never saw it coming. Maybe it was the brilliant gleam of exceptionalism supremacy that got in your eyes.
OMG what a lucky coincidence, is feckless senile old Biden to be the fall-guy? That sure does have the ring of Democrat Dagger-Dealing doesn't it, lol?
These guys better not piss off the Aliens that operate from there.
I nominate Adam Schiff and Hillary Clinton to man the Arctic for us. Send them as far from us and as close to Russia as you can.
NA! I am nominating you for a Peace Prize!!! You are brilliant! Plus, you made me smile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"…take advantage of Arctic resources.."
Amerikan ice breakers under 20 years old—0—-.
Russia builds 2 per year.
This one for sure is a Future Failure…!
We don’t have any functional Ice Breakers and Russia has more than 30 of them, so how are you going to function in the Arctic?
asavetmd