Tensions in the Arctics experienced a thaw when the Soviet Union collapsed. However, the interests of the great powers in the Arctics had nevertheless been preserved. As early as on 1992 Foreign Minister of Russia Andrei Kozyrev stated: “The territory of the former Soviet Union cannot be considered a zone where CSCE norms would be fully applied. This is a post-imperial region where Russia must defend its interests by all possible means, including military and economic means.”
This serious message was also reflected in the Arctic when Russia drew up a military development program on 2009. Accordingly, it began to renew bases in the Arctic region, build new ones, and deploy the latest radar and missile equipment to bases on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. It also renewed its strategic forces: SSBN fleet, heavy surface ship units and developed new types of missiles. The U.S. recognized the lines of development and began to respond militarily to the changes. The volume of the exercises has increased in the Arctic and the U.S. has developed six new Multi Domain Task Force (MDTF) organizations, one of which was to be stationed in the Arctics. MTDF is the fire power unit and consists of HIMARS Battery, Mid-Range Capability Battery, Long Range Hypersonic Weapon Battery and sophisticated signal and intelligence companies and support units.
The U.S. brought the threat of China to the international political debate in 2019 in a speech given by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Rovaniemi, Finland, when he clearly stated China making a greater threat than Russia. The changed assessment was verified in the U.S. National Defense Doctrine in July 2024, which put China ahead of Russia in the defense policy program. The change also had an arctic dimension, on which Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks made a statement: ”The Arctic region of the United States is critical to the defense of our homeland, the protection of U.S. national sovereignty and the preservation of our defense treaty commitments.”
China’s strategic partnership with Russia has created a new, even more demanding need for military intelligence in the Arctic. China’s entry there is nowadays viewed with suspicion and reservations, and its support for projects to strengthen Russia’s infrastructure is being closely monitored. The strategic partnership and the war in Ukraine have increased the need for the U.S. to develop cooperation with the Arctic allies. Its manifestations include the re-ratification and conclusion of bilateral defense treaties (DCAs) with countries in the region. The implementation of the DCA has started already in Finland in August 2025 when the Ministries of Defense of the U.S. and Finland made arrangements for the construction procedure.
Strategically, the Arctic forms an important area for countering ballistic and cruise missiles launched by China and Russia. Regionally, it increasingly includes not only Alaska, Greenland and Canada, but also Norway, Sweden and Finland. Their inclusion gives NATO a new strategic advantage. The association of Finland and Sweden to NATO will provide an opportunity for a completely new missile defense structure and intelligence. The use of both manned and unmanned electronic reconnaissance aircrafts has increased. As an example, in September 2025 the large surveillance drone came from Sicily flying back and forth over Finland before it continued north across the border into Norway flying at high-altitude (53,000 feet) collecting vital data. In the Arctic, it also manifests itself in increased military exercises. Finland takes part in about a hundred international exercises of different levels and types each year. An example is the international exercise Nordic Response 24 held in March 2024, in which a total of approximately 20,000 soldiers from 14 different countries participated.
The distribution of natural resources is becoming an increasingly important factor in the Arctic. The U.S. is dependent on special raw materials from China, which are needed especially in the electronics industry. Add to that China’s ability to produce advanced military material 5-6 times faster than the U.S., the competitive situation is problematic for the U.S. A further problem arises from the slow opening of mining operations in the U.S., where it takes an average of 29 years to open a mine for production, which is the second slowest process in the world. Therefore, USA’s desire to acquire mines that produce various rare materials is inevitable. This can be seen in USA’s efforts to exploit natural resources of Greenland and Canada.
For Russia, European countries and the United States, the Arctic means a common future. The utilization of the region’s natural resources will become current over the span created by global warming. The Arctic is part of the global economy and strategic goals. We have been able to resolve conflicts of interests in the region without armed conflict for decades. Are we ready to continue with these geopolitics? What does it require from the Arctic states? At least it is time for the wakeup call.
Ossi Kettunen
Colonel (ret), a member of the Finnish Society of Military Science
Finland
ossi.kettunen@gmail.com
