Developments on the Ukrainian battlefield reminded the administration of US President Joe Biden that before the beginning of his presidency, there was also concern for the far north of the planet, for the Arctic region. According to the already established practice, under the pressure of more important world hotspots, that topic had fallen to some third plan, although the American federal state of Alaska geographically has the ability to control the region all the way to the North Pole. At the moment, however, it seems that Washington is expecting some kind of non-agreed truce in Ukraine, so it is slowly turning its attention to the north. The US Department of Defense announced the "Arctic Doctrine" as a counterweight to Russian strategic plans in that part of the world where a possible confrontation is looming.
Eight countries rely on the Arctic – Canada, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and, of course, the USA and Russia, but until recently only Moscow showed greater interest. The Russians have invested a lot in that area, they act almost as if they own the entire large territory formally and legally, it is nobody's business.
Russia uses 40 heavy icebreakers, the US only one, and it is outdated. It has ordered new ones that won't arrive until 2026. The balance of power is somewhat balanced by 9 Canadian, 8 Finnish and 4 Swedish icebreakers, but America is used to leading the way rather than depending on its smaller allies. Without that type of ship, any activity in the Arctic Circle cannot be considered.
Strategic importance
The Arctic region is of great importance for transport between the north and the west by the shortest route - North-East Passage.
It also has large deposits of coal, nickel and other rare metals. It is assumed that 30 percent of the still undiscovered oil and gas reserves lie in the area covered by thick layers of ice. The question of whose powerful reserves are not legally resolved.
We should not ignore fishing, or even tourism, which was developing vigorously until the conflict in Ukraine.
Time 1084Photo: Pixabay
First of all, of course, due to the tense situation in the whole world, the strategic importance of the north has greatly increased due to the possibility to reach almost all battlefields in the world from there as quickly as possible and in every possible way - with airplanes, drones, rockets. So far, only the Russian Federation has serious bases in the far north.
With the entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO, America opened up the possibility of stationing its military potential in the existing northern bases of those countries, which, admittedly, are not within the Arctic Circle itself. Even Germany shows interest in sending military forces there, German Defense Minister Pistorius openly spoke about it during his visit to the Baltic countries. This brings NATO forces closer to Russia's border from that side as well, which certainly irritates Moscow.
Waterway
Navigation through the Red Sea, and through the Suez Canal, has become dangerous due to the constant attacks of the Houthis from Yemen. Only now the US, as well as Germany, are making plans to send their warships to the area. It is clear that the fingers of Saudi Arabia, Iran, who knows who else are involved, and that there is a connection with the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Cautious traders now send their ships around the Horn of Africa, which significantly slows down and makes transportation more expensive. Due to all of this, the importance of the so-called North-West Passage, the shortest destination between the West and the East, which is under the control of Russia, is managed by an institution called Northern Sea Route.
Russia has icebreakers ready to escort merchant ships and tankers, but since the sanctions were imposed, they have been used sparingly. Last year and during this year, ships were seen from Cyprus, the Bahamas, and from Hong Kong. That passage can transport 80 million tons of cargo per year, it is not announced how many actually passed that way. Will a greater number of ships take this route, considering that the navigation around Africa exceeds 26.000 kilometers, and the North-West Passage is 5600 kilometers long? Military-strategic interests are clearly opposed to economic ones.
The new situation in the north of the globe is not a source of immediate war danger, but it is a threat that the great powers are certainly thinking about. How the situation in the far north is viewed in Beijing is not known to the public, but it is easy to assume that the leadership there is quietly smiling with satisfaction. In addition to the main zone of potential conflict with China, engagement in Ukraine and the Middle East, the US must direct its forces to the north.
JH/Sputnik/SWP/Magazin Loyal/Spiegel
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