First published: Engelsberg Ideas, 15 July 2026
Once a frozen frontier and geostrategic backwater, the Arctic is now an important geopolitical theatre. America’s new national security strategy stresses hemispheric national interests. Russia regards itself as a sort of Arctic gatekeeper, and, despite the burdens of the ongoing war in Ukraine, its investment in its own Northern Fleet and naval and maritime infrastructure has persisted. Europe has been pulled into Arctic geopolitics by Donald Trump’s insistence on wanting to ‘own’ Greenland. China’s growing Arctic interests are also attracting attention, and sit firmly in the crosshairs of the United States and NATO.
China is, though, relatively speaking, an Arctic newcomer… Read on https://engelsbergideas.com/essays/inside-chinas-great-game-for-the-arctic/
