The Arctic Circle, including Greenland, has become a focal point of international geopolitics once again.

US President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of Greenland for national and international security, stating that the US is working to acquire the Danish territory. Trump’s interest extends beyond Greenland to Canada, with suggestions of Canada becoming a US state. Rising tensions between Arctic nations, notably Russia, have strained the cooperative relationship among countries in the region, potentially threatening the Arctic’s peaceful nature.

Eight nations lie within the Arctic Circle: the Arctic Five (Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the US) are coastal states, while Finland, Sweden, and Iceland have territories but no significant shoreline. None of these nations own the Arctic, but they exercise their territorial and economic rights as per international law. The region is rich in natural resources, including oil, gas, and critical minerals, but extracting these resources is expensive and challenging due to the harsh Arctic environment.

China views itself as a near-Arctic state, enhancing its stake in the region. A RAND report found China’s efforts in extracting resources in the Arctic to be limited. However, China’s ambitions could benefit from potential new trade routes through the Arctic if climate change leads to ice-free summers.

The climate is rapidly changing in the Arctic, with significant implications. The extent of winter sea ice is at record lows, and an ice-free summer could occur by 2050 due to rising carbon dioxide emissions. While this could open new trade routes, it also poses risks to human safety and the environment. Thawing permafrost can result in infrastructure failures, land transport disruptions, and increased exposure to disease and contaminants. The accelerated pace of warming in the Arctic is causing ecological, social, and economic impacts that are not well understood outside the region.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/what-s-driving-the-changing-face-of-arctic-geopolitics/a-71892279?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf