The Russia-China push in the arctic – a new strategic flashpoint
Written by Sayantan Haldar
On March 12, the 14th meeting of the Arctic Council marked the conclusion of Norway's term its chair. The Arctic Council serves as the apex intergovernmental forum fostering regional cooperation and promoting governance in the Arctic region. The forum comprises eight permanent members – Canada, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, United States, and Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands). After a tumultuous period of difficulty in keeping the Arctic Council effectively operational, Norway has passed the baton to Denmark as the new chair of the Council.
While much of the history of the region's governance has boasted of 'Arctic exceptionalism' – an expression rooted in the manifest efforts to keep the region immune from geopolitical tensions, the Arctic finds itself in unprecedented times. The Russia-Ukraine war has significantly altered the geopolitical landscape in the Arctic. Since 2022, the progress of the Arctic Council as an effective forum for regional governance has been significantly hindered.
Given the nature of the forum, driven by a model of unanimous consensus, minimal engagement with Russia has jeopardised its effectiveness. The accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO since the beginning of the war has exacerbated tensions within the group. At present, the Arctic Council has seven NATO member states and Russia. Given Russian sensitivities about NATO, any possibility of the group making effective progress appears increasingly difficult.
US President Donald Trump's claim to seek control over the territory of Greenland has complicated matters further. Since assuming office in January 2025, Trump has maintained that American control of Greenland's territory would be essential for Washington's national security, as well as international security. Importantly, US interests in the region are not limited to matters of hard security but also remain anchored on the vast natural resources available in the region. Given the escalating strategic race for critical minerals and rare earth elements, the Arctic region is likely to emerge as an important area.
Given the need for Russia to find alternatives for enhancing cooperation in the Arctic, China has emerged as a crucial partner. Chinese ambitions in the Arctic have also seen a rise. In 2014, President Xi Jinping made China's ambitions to emerge as a 'Polar Power' public. Since then, China has called itself a 'near-Arctic state', signalling a push for greater involvement in Arctic affairs.
China does not have any coastal exposure to the Arctic nor does it claim control over any sovereign territory within the Arctic region. Russia-China naval cooperation in the Arctic region has, therefore, ushered in a new strategic dimension into the evolving geopolitical matrix in the region. This emerging axis must serve as a reminder to the Arctic countries of the need to sustain continued cooperation in the region.
Given these evolving developments, the Arctic Council is faced with critical challenges. Arctic exceptionalism is withering. With competing interests in the region, the lack of effective governance mechanisms therein, the Arctic runs the risk of rapidly emerging as a strategic flashpoint. Notably, these developments will have severe consequences at a global scale.
Growing climate concerns in the Arctic resulting in the melting of ice poses the risk of rising sea levels. The melting of Arctic ice has also opened new avenues for expanding networks of shipping routes. This is likely to result in the entry of new players and stakeholders in the region. While this provides opportunities to expand global supply chains and enhance global trade, effective governance will become a major imperative for the region.
Will the potential entry of new players into the Arctic require a wider reimagining of the Arctic governance architecture? How will the Arctic governance mechanism confront the changing geopolitical calculus in the region? The Arctic Council will need to delicately balance these pressing questions. However, for this, a normative acknowledgement of withering Arctic exceptionalism will need to be a starting point.
The writer is Research Assistant, Maritime Studies at Observer Research Foundation
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
Pokrovsk in peril? Tensions surge as 111,000 Russian troops gather near Ukraine's frontline hotspot
Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi reports that Russia has amassed over 110,000 troops near Pokrovsk, designating it the "hottest spot" on the frontline. Despite repeated offensives and numerical superiority, Russia has failed to capture the city, a key strategic point for connecting military hubs. Russia's persistent efforts are driven by a desire for symbolic victories and psychological impact. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pokrovsk is 'Hottest Spot' in Ukraine Vladimir Putin's Broader Goal Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why Pokrovsk Matters to Russia The Kursk Diversion That Shifted the Battle What Russia Wants: Symbolism Over Strategy FAQs Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk is bracing for what could become one of the most intense confrontations of the war, as Russia has massed over 110,000 troops near the city, revealed Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi on Friday, as per a CNN Pokrovsk as the 'hottest spot' along Ukraine's 1,200-kilometre frontline, Syrskyi said that Russia appears determined to break through Ukrainian defenses, according to the comes as Russian forces had already been trying to capture Pokrovsk for over a year, staging one grinding offensive after another, and even though they had an advantage in terms of the number of troops and weapons available, Moscow has failed to take over the city, as reported by READ: Iran moves women prisoners to hellhole farm jail after airstrike hits notorious Evin prison Even Russian President Vladimir Putin had asserted that his goal is to seize all of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk his forces partially occupy, according to the Kyiv and its allies have accused Putin of delaying peace efforts so that his forces can seize more Ukrainian territory, as reported by is a strategic target for Moscow because it is has key supply road and railroad that connect it with other military hubs in the area, and along with Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, it forms the backbone of Ukrainian defenses in the part of Donetsk region that is still under Kyiv's control, according to the READ: No holding, no swiping: California's tough no touch phone law for drivers, simplified Last year, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based conflict monitor, had revealed that Ukrainian defensive operations in Pokrovsk had forced Russia to leave its initial plan to take over Pokrovsk in a frontal assault as Ukrainian troops started using drones in their defensive strategy and integrated it with their ground forces, according to the CNN Russia was not even able to increase the number of troops in the area a lot, as it was trying to contain the surprise incursion of Ukrainian troops into its own territory in the southern Kursk region, as per the week, Syrskyi highlighted that 'This allowed us to weaken the enemy's pressure on the main fronts and regroup our troops. And the enemy's capture of Pokrovsk, announced back in September 2024, has not yet taken place, thanks in part to our Kursk operation ,' as quoted by on Friday, Syrskyi revealed that Russia continued to try to break through to the administrative border of the Donetsk region, and he said, 'They want to do this not only to achieve some operational results, but primarily for demonstrative purposes. To achieve a psychological effect: to put the infamous 'foot of the Russian soldier' there, plant a flag and trumpet another pseudo-'victory,'' as quoted by 110,000 troops have been positioned near the city, making it one of Russia's largest concentrations in the believes it's more about symbolism, planting a flag and calling it a victory, than genuine strategic control.
India.com
37 minutes ago
- India.com
Pakistan's close friend refuses to give THIS weapon while India is producing them at large scale, weapon is..., friend's name is...
New Delhi: China Denies Hypersonic Missiles to Pakistan: China has rejected Pakistan's demand, in which it had asked for hypersonic missiles and its manufacturing technology (ToT). According to reports, China has clearly said that these missiles are not yet available for export and no such version has been made yet which can be given to other countries. What did Pakistan ask for? Pakistan wanted this missile so that it could compete with India's rapidly growing missile technology and hypersonic systems. India is already testing missiles like HSTDV, which are very fast and advanced. Two main reasons are being given for China's refusal. First, the performance of the Chinese weapons already available with Pakistan has been weaker than expected. Second, China fears that Pakistan may share this technology with Western countries. Although Pakistan has received fighter jets and missile systems from China before, China did not show confidence in sensitive technology like hypersonic missiles. Why was Pakistan denied this weapon? According to a defense website, China makes special export versions for its other weapons like J-10CE fighter aircraft or HQ-9 air defense system, but hypersonic missiles are so advanced and sensitive that it does not want to send them abroad. It is China's policy that very modern and powerful weapons, which can disturb the balance in the world, should not be given to other countries. Will Pakistan develop these weapons at home? Pakistan wanted to buy these missiles and also learn to make them itself, but China's refusal has dealt a big blow to it. This can hamper Pakistan's efforts to compete with India. According to sources, China considers hypersonic technology an important part of its strategic security, especially against the US and its allies. This is the reason why it does not want to give such sensitive missile technology to a close country like Pakistan as it can increase international pressure and political tension. Another reason is that China is currently working towards improving these missiles further and producing them on a large scale. Until this process is completed, it is not ready to transfer it to any other country.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
38 minutes ago
- First Post
Weekend Senate session focuses on contentious GOP tax cuts and budget reductions
Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks read more The Senate is expected to grind through a rare weekend session as Republicans race to pass President Donald Trump's package of tax breaks and spending cuts by his July Fourth deadline. Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The 940-page bill was released shortly before midnight Friday. Senators were expected to take a procedural vote Saturday to begin debate on the legislation, but the timing was uncertain and there is a long path ahead, with at least 10 hours of debate time and an all-night voting session on countless amendments. Senate passage could be days away, and the bill would need to return to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House. 'It's evolving,' said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., as he prepared to close up the chamber late Friday. The weekend session could be a make-or-break moment for Trump's party, which has invested much of its political capital on his signature domestic policy plan. Trump is pushing Congress to wrap it up, even as he sometimes gives mixed signals, allowing for more time. At recent events at the White House, including Friday, Trump has admonished the 'grandstanders' among GOP holdouts to fall in line. 'We can get it done,' Trump said in a social media post. 'It will be a wonderful Celebration for our Country.' The legislation is an ambitious but complicated series of GOP priorities. At its core, it would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Trump's first term that would otherwise expire by year's end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans. The bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit $350 billion to national security, including for Trump's mass deportation agenda. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But the spending cuts that Republicans are relying on to offset the lost tax revenues are causing dissent within the GOP ranks. Some lawmakers say the cuts go too far, particularly for people receiving health care through Medicaid. Meanwhile, conservatives, worried about the nation's debt, are pushing for steeper cuts. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he is concerned about the fundamentals of the package and will not support the procedural motion to begin debate. 'I'm voting no on the motion to proceed,' he said. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., pushing for deeper cuts, said he needed to see the final legislative text. The release of that draft had been delayed as the Senate parliamentarian reviewed the bill to ensure it complied with the chamber's strict 'Byrd Rule,' named for the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, It largely bars policy matters from inclusion in budget bills unless a provision can get 60 votes to overcome objections. That would be a tall order in a Senate with a 53-47 GOP edge and Democrats unified against Trump's bill. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Republicans suffered a series of setbacks after several proposals were determined to be out of compliance by the chief arbiter of the Senate's rules. One plan would have shifted some food stamp costs from the federal government to the states; a second would have gutted the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. But over the past days, Republicans have quickly revised those proposals and reinstated them. The final text includes a proposal for cuts to a Medicaid provider tax that had run into parliamentary objections and opposition from several senators worried about the fate of rural hospitals. The new version extends the start date for those cuts and establishes a $25 billion fund to aid rural hospitals and providers. Most states impose the provider tax as a way to boost federal Medicaid reimbursements. Some Republicans argue that is a scam and should be abolished. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said that under the House-passed version of the bill, some 10.9 million more people would go without health care and at least 3 million fewer would qualify for food aid. The CBO has not yet publicly assessed the Senate draft, which proposes steeper reductions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Top income-earners would see about a $12,000 tax cut under the House bill, while the poorest Americans would face a $1,600 tax increase, the CBO said. One unresolved issue remains the so-called SALT provision, a deduction for state and local taxes that has been a top priority of lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states. The cap is now $10,000. The White House and House Republicans had narrowed in on a plan for a $40,000 cap, but for five years instead of 10. Republican senators says that's too generous. At least one House GOP holdout, Rep. Nick LaLota of New York, said he cannot support the compromise. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Republicans are rushing to finish the bill before the public fully knows what's in it. 'There's no good reason for Republicans to chase a silly deadline,' Schumer said. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who sent his colleagues home for the weekend with plans to be on call to return to Washington, said they are 'very close' to finishing up. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We would still like to meet that July Fourth, self-imposed deadline,' said Johnson, R-La. With the narrow Republicans majorities in the House and Senate, leaders need almost every lawmaker on board to ensure passage. Johnson and Thune have stayed close to the White House, relying on Trump to pressure holdout lawmakers.
