{"id":60213,"date":"2020-11-13T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-13T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2020\/11\/13\/reflecting-on-future-us-russia-relations-through-the-lens-of-the-high-north\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:31:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:31:35","slug":"reflecting-on-future-us-russia-relations-through-the-lens-of-the-high-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2020\/11\/13\/reflecting-on-future-us-russia-relations-through-the-lens-of-the-high-north\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington should chill out over Russia\u2019s Arctic ambitions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3157\" data-id=\"3157\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/200224-A-ZZ999-420.JPG.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/200224-A-ZZ999-420.JPG.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/200224-A-ZZ999-420.JPG.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/200224-A-ZZ999-420.JPG.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/200224-A-ZZ999-420.JPG.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/200224-A-ZZ999-420.JPG.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">A U.S. Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook takes flight for exercise Arctic Eagle 2020 on Feb. 24, 2020, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The drill is meant to benefit homeland security and emergency response operations in the northern U.S. state. (Alaska National Guard)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1609\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3163\" data-id=\"3163\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cooperative_Neighbors_cropped__1537655182802.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cooperative_Neighbors_cropped__1537655182802.jpg.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cooperative_Neighbors_cropped__1537655182802.jpg.jpg?resize=300,251 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cooperative_Neighbors_cropped__1537655182802.jpg.jpg?resize=768,644 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cooperative_Neighbors_cropped__1537655182802.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,858 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Cooperative_Neighbors_cropped__1537655182802.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1287 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Canadian Coast Guard ship Louis S. St. Laurent alongside U.S. Coast Guard cutter Healy in the Arctic Ocean helped map the Arctic seafloor and gather data to help define the outer limits of the continental shelf in the region. (Jessica Robertson\/U.S. Geological Survey)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2961\" height=\"1839\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3173\" data-id=\"3173\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944424.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944424.jpg.jpg 2961w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944424.jpg.jpg?resize=300,186 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944424.jpg.jpg?resize=768,477 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944424.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,636 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944424.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,954 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944424.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1272 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2961px) 100vw, 2961px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">A Russian officer, right, and soldiers stand next to a special military truck at the Russian northern military base on Kotelny island, beyond the Arctic Circle on April 3, 2019. The Russian military base dubbed the &#8220;Northern Clover&#8221; on the island was built to serve as a model for future military installations in the Arctic. (Maxime Popov\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4272\" height=\"2848\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3182\" data-id=\"3182\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/160727-F-XZ101-001.JPG.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/160727-F-XZ101-001.JPG.jpg 4272w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/160727-F-XZ101-001.JPG.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/160727-F-XZ101-001.JPG.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/160727-F-XZ101-001.JPG.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/160727-F-XZ101-001.JPG.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/160727-F-XZ101-001.JPG.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4272px) 100vw, 4272px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Detachment 1, 23rd Space Operations Squadron gained operational acceptance of the seventh and final Remote Block Change antenna at Thule Air Base, Greenland, on July, 26, 2016. The antenna, designated as POGO-Charlie, represented some of the latest telemetry, tracking and command technologies in the U.S. Air Force. (U.S. Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1691\" height=\"981\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3192\" data-id=\"3192\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6124880.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6124880.jpg.jpg 1691w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6124880.jpg.jpg?resize=300,174 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6124880.jpg.jpg?resize=768,446 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6124880.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,594 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6124880.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,891 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1691px) 100vw, 1691px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">U.S. Marines shoot an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during U.S. Northern Command\u2019s Exercise Arctic Edge in Fort Greely, Alaska, on March 3, 2020. (Staff Sgt. Diana Cossaboom\/U.S. Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3000\" height=\"1500\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3203\" data-id=\"3203\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-629284162.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-629284162.jpg.jpg 3000w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-629284162.jpg.jpg?resize=300,150 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-629284162.jpg.jpg?resize=768,384 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-629284162.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,512 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-629284162.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,768 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-629284162.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1024 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3000px) 100vw, 3000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Chinese paramilitary police border guards train in the snow at Mohe County in China&#8217;s northeast Heilongjiang province, on the border with Russia, on Dec. 12, 2016. Mohe is the northernmost point in China, with a subarctic climate. (STR\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5641\" height=\"3764\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3216\" data-id=\"3216\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6135999.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6135999.jpg.jpg 5641w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6135999.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6135999.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6135999.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6135999.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6135999.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1367 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 5641px) 100vw, 5641px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">North American Aerospace Defense Command conducts an E-3 Sentry mission to the high Arctic supported by KC-135 Stratotankers. The mission was to demonstrate America and Canada&#8217;s ability to detect threats through Arctic avenues of approach to North America. (North American Aerospace Defense Command)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4486\" height=\"2919\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3238\" data-id=\"3238\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-680590462.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-680590462.jpg.jpg 4486w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-680590462.jpg.jpg?resize=300,195 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-680590462.jpg.jpg?resize=768,500 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-680590462.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,666 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-680590462.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,999 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-680590462.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1333 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4486px) 100vw, 4486px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Russian TOR-M2 tactical surface-to-air missile systems and Pantsir-SA air defense systems are decked out in their Arctic colors as they ride through Red Square during a military parade in Moscow on May 9, 2017. (Natalia Kolesnikova\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4016\" height=\"2252\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3249\" data-id=\"3249\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944419.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944419.jpg.jpg 4016w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944419.jpg.jpg?resize=300,168 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944419.jpg.jpg?resize=768,431 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944419.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,574 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944419.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,861 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1134944419.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1148 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4016px) 100vw, 4016px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">A soldier holds a machine gun as he patrols the Russian northern military base on Kotelny island, beyond the Arctic circle on April 3, 2019. The Arctic is a strategic region for Russia as it continues to strengthen its presence with the new perspectives offered by global warming. (Maxime Popov\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5472\" height=\"3648\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3259\" data-id=\"3259\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1048780428.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1048780428.jpg.jpg 5472w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1048780428.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1048780428.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1048780428.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1048780428.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1048780428.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 5472px) 100vw, 5472px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">British and Irish soldiers with their military vehicles pause to check equipment and rest on Oct. 10, 2018, in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They were on their way to join other NATO forces for Operation Trident Juncture. Norway has long lobbied NATO partners to increase troop numbers as Russia has built up its military capacity in the region, especially the Kola Peninsula inside the Arctic Circle. (Dean Mouhtaropoulos\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"4765\" height=\"3177\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3270\" data-id=\"3270\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HS06-2019-0549-660.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HS06-2019-0549-660.jpg.jpg 4765w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HS06-2019-0549-660.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HS06-2019-0549-660.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HS06-2019-0549-660.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HS06-2019-0549-660.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HS06-2019-0549-660.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 4765px) 100vw, 4765px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Canada&#8217;s HMCS Kingston sails in Lancaster Sound, close to Gascoyne Inlet during Operation Nanook on August 29, 2019. During Operation Nanook, the Canadian Armed Forces practice guarding the country&#8217;s sovereignty over its northernmost regions and improving the way it operates in Arctic conditions. (Cpl. Simon Arcand\/Canadian Armed Forces)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3600\" height=\"2400\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3278\" data-id=\"3278\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1132893290.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1132893290.jpg.jpg 3600w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1132893290.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1132893290.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1132893290.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1132893290.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1132893290.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3600px) 100vw, 3600px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">A Finnish F-18 Hornet departs from Jokkmokk Air Base during a joint exercise between the air forces of Finland and Sweden over the Arctic Circle towns of Jokkmokk in Sweden and Rovaniemi in Finland on March 25, 2019. (Jonathan Nackstrand\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"6527\" height=\"4322\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3287\" data-id=\"3287\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-664083132.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-664083132.jpg.jpg 6527w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-664083132.jpg.jpg?resize=300,199 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-664083132.jpg.jpg?resize=768,509 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-664083132.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,678 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-664083132.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1017 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-664083132.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1356 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 6527px) 100vw, 6527px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Project scientist Nathan Kurtz and senior support scientist Jeremy Harbeck walk on their way to survey an iceberg locked in sea ice near Thule Air Base on March 26, 2017, in Pituffik, Greenland. NASA&#8217;s Operation IceBridge was flying research missions out of the base and other Arctic locations. IceBridge team members took the rare opportunity to survey sea ice near the base from the ground. Thule Air Base is the U.S. military&#8217;s northernmost base located some 750 miles above the Arctic Circle. (Mario Tama\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"8077\" height=\"5385\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-3296\" data-id=\"3296\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6134098.jpg.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6134098.jpg.jpg 8077w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6134098.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6134098.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6134098.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6134098.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6134098.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 8077px) 100vw, 8077px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">The crew of the U.S. Navy&#8217;s Seawolf-class submarine Connecticut enjoys ice liberty after surfacing in the Arctic Circle during Ice Exercise 2020 on March 7, 2020. ICEX is a biennial submarine exercise that promotes interoperability between allies and partners to maintain operational readiness and regional stability, while improving capabilities to operate in the Arctic environment. (MC1 Michael B. Zingaro\/U.S. Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One day before the U.S. election, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended the commissioning of a new diesel-electric icebreaker ship, the Viktor Chernomyrdin, which is the most powerful non-nuclear icebreaker in the world. Just two weeks prior, another ceremony announced the entry into service of an even larger and more formidable icebreaker, appropriately named Arktika.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the past couple of years, NATO has undertaken major naval forays into the Barents region and also put on large-scale exercises in the High North. Senior U.S. military officials and diplomats, moreover, have suggested that that Russian (and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/opinion\/commentary\/2020\/05\/11\/chinas-strategic-interest-in-the-arctic-goes-beyond-economics\/\" target=_blank>Chinese<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/naval\/2020\/05\/11\/the-us-navy-returns-to-an-increasingly-militarized-arctic\/\" target=_blank>activities in the Arctic<\/a> constitute <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/naval\/2020\/06\/09\/trump-memo-demands-new-fleet-of-arctic-icebreakers-to-be-ready-by-2029\/\" target=_blank>a major threat<\/a> that requires a robust U.S. military response in the form of new deployments and new capabilities. U.S.-Russian military tensions have been increasing in nearly every geographic domain over the last several years, but with a new administration entering the White House, certain assumptions about \u201cgreat power competition\u201d deserve much closer scrutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At first glance, the brand-new, nuclear-powered Arktika-class Russian icebreaker could be interpreted as stark evidence of the Kremlin\u2019s determination to build up its capabilities to control the \u201croof of the world.\u201d It is now the largest and most powerful icebreaker in operation. According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/iz.ru\/1076574\/2020-10-21\/krupneishii-v-mire-atomnyi-ledokol-arktika-vveli-v-stroi-v-murmanske\" target=_blank>report<\/a> from the Russian-language newspaper Izvestiya, Arktika already sortied to the North Pole in early October, breaking through 3-meter ice en route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia is the only Arctic country that produces nuclear icebreakers. But these extraordinary ships do not come cheap, with a price well in excess of $1 billion per hull. It is important, moreover, to see that the new Russian nuclear icebreaker is not a \u201cone off\u201d of purely symbolic significance. Two more of these ships, Sibir and Ural, are launched already. A fourth ship in this class, Yakutia, is now being built, while the fifth hull, Chukotka, will soon be laid down. In addition, preparations are underway in the Russian Far East to start building an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highnorthnews.com\/en\/russias-rosatom-and-zvezda-shipyard-sign-contract-worlds-largest-nuclear-icebreaker\" target=_blank>even larger class<\/a> of nuclear icebreaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These hulking ships are the basis for building the Northern Sea Route, or NSR. That route shaves off several thousand kilometers of navigation for ships plying the essential route from Asia to Europe. Notably, Chinese investment in the \u201cPolar Silk Road\u201d through the Yamal gas field has contributed substantially to both the viability of the NSR as well as to cleaner skies in China, since the Middle Kingdom has continued its timely shift from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To be sure, there has been a military component to Russia\u2019s emergent strategy for the Arctic. The Kremlin created a new Arctic command back in 2014. Some new bases have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.csis.org\/features\/ice-curtain-russias-arctic-military-presence\" target=_blank>established<\/a>, and older bases have been upgraded. Bombers have recently made visits to some of these remote bases. A new military \u201ccombat icebreaker\u201d class was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maritime-executive.com\/article\/russian-shipyard-launches-missile-carrying-icebreaker\" target=_blank>launched<\/a> in St. Petersburg back in fall 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, it must be admitted that Russia has about 24,000 kilometers of Arctic coastline. For decades, this remote wilderness has been neglected and only thinly defended. One can hardly accuse the Kremlin of \u201caggression\u201d when its small deployments have all been to its own territories. These deployments, moreover, can also be justified as quite necessary for the safety of ships plying the NSR or to respond to an environmental emergency. And it is far from clear that a few hundred soldiers bunking in an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-europe-39629819\" target=_blank>Arctic Trefoil<\/a> and staring at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2019\/09\/24\/world\/russian-navy-boat-walrus-attack-scli-intl\/index.html\" target=_blank>walruses<\/a> on Alexandra Land are a threat to anyone in particular. Nor can American strategists argue with a straight face that ships navigating the NSR along Russia\u2019s Arctic coastline and complying with Russian law to submit information regarding navigation plans somehow constitute a threat to the liberal trading order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">True, Russia-China military collaboration in the Arctic must be <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/feature\/chinese-nuclear-armed-submarines-russian-arctic-ports-it-could-happen-60302\" target=_blank>watched closely<\/a>, but that cooperation remains hypothetical at present and will likely remain so, unless there is a deepening of the \u201cNew Cold War.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">American strategists must recognize that all those billions in Russian funds allocated to fund unarmed icebreakers could also have been spent on Russian aircraft carriers or on its submarine force. Rather, the Kremlin has taken a page from China\u2019s book and pursued commercial profits and development over military superiority. Such commercial (vice military) impulses are to be encouraged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/11\/07\/biden-elected-president-but-trump-disputes-results\/\" target=_blank>U.S. President-elect Joe Biden<\/a> should reevaluate relations with Russia in an environment free from partisan rancor. In doing so, he should look well beyond puerile issues regarding stolen emails, social media absurdity and opposition research shenanigans.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2020\/11\/11\/biden-should-embrace-the-humanitarian-disarmament-agenda\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"161\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/dangerMINE.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Biden should embrace the humanitarian disarmament agenda<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Joe Biden will take office at a moment when U.S. leadership can be crucial in setting and supporting the understanding that some weapons simply should not be.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By contrast, three genuinely grave issues should be on the Russia agenda for the incoming president: revitalizing arms control; striving to reach basic agreement on regional security hot spots from Libya to Belarus to North Korea; and emphasizing the imperative to address climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is on the latter issue specifically that Washington should be pressing Moscow. In that regard, the new president-elect should include a cooperative agenda for the Arctic that allows for development but that aims primarily to safeguard the environment. Bending \u201cgreat power competition\u201d toward great power cooperation will not only help solve the world\u2019s most pressing problems, but also enable the prioritization of healing and also nation-building at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Lyle Goldstein is a research professor at the U.S. Naval War College, where he founded the China Maritime Studies Institute. He also works with the college\u2019s Russia Maritime Studies Institute. The opinions in this article are entirely those of the author and do not reflect any official assessment of the U.S. Navy.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>American strategists should recognize that billions in Russian funds allocated to fund unarmed icebreakers could also have been spent on Russian aircraft carriers or on its submarine 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By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Washington should chill out over Russia\u2019s Arctic ambitions - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"American strategists should recognize that billions in Russian funds allocated to fund unarmed icebreakers could also have been spent on Russian aircraft carriers or on its submarine force.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Washington should chill out over Russia\u2019s Arctic ambitions\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"American strategists should recognize that billions in Russian funds allocated to fund unarmed icebreakers could also have been spent on Russian aircraft carriers or on its submarine force.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2020\/11\/13\/reflecting-on-future-us-russia-relations-through-the-lens-of-the-high-north\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-11-13T10:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T00:31:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lyle Goldstein\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lyle Goldstein\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": 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