Arctic Receives No Mention in New White House National Security Strategy, But U.S. Polar Engagement Remains The Trump administration’s 2025 National Security Strategy omits a dedicated Arctic section, unlike its 2022 predecessor, but experts say the shift reflects a hemispheric approach—not neglect—with icebreaker acquisitions and the ICE Pact signaling continued U.S. engagement and strategic focus on the North American Arctic.
U.S. Icebreaker Healy Wraps up Four-Month Patrol of Arctic, Countering Growing Chinese Presence U.S. Coast Guard icebreakersHealyandStorisconducted 129-day and 112-day Arctic deployments this summer. A substantial presence increase over previous summers. Both vessels monitored growing vessel activity in the region with five Chinese research vessels operating in the waters around Alaska.
Locked Up in Washington, Murkowski Gave an Almost Absurd Insight Into American Madness Reykjavik (Comment): A deeply affected US Senator, Lisa Murkowski, spoke via videolink to 2,000 participants at the international Arctic Circle conference here in Reykjavik yesterday. She was supposed to be on stage, but instead showcased an involuntary digital demonstration of the madness of US politics.
U.S. Coast Guard Moves Forward with Proposed 4-mile-wide Arctic Shipping Corridor Near Alaska The U.S. Coast Guard and partnering federal agencies plan to organize shipping activity along a designated corridor to protect the marine environment and local communities. The route would lead from Western Alaska in the Bering Strait to the U.S.-Canada border in the Beaufort Sea. Survey work carried out by icebreakerHealyhelps inform the exact routing of the corridor.
Solar Energy in the North May Work Better Than Previously Thought New research from the Belfer Center shows that the case for solar energy in the Far North could be stronger than previously thought.
Trump Administration’s Securitization of Arctic Affairs and Its Implications for U.S. Federally Funded Research The Trump Administration is in the process of securitizing Arctic affairs. "That will almost certainly have a significant impact on the future of U.S. federally funded research related to the Arctic", says Michael Walsh, researcher atthe University of the Witwatersrand.
Chinese Research Vessels Enter U.S. Extended Continental Shelf in Arctic, Coast Guard Monitors with Icebreaker ‘Healy’ Chinese activity in the American Arctic continues to draw the attention of the U.S. Coast Guard. Two Chinese research vessels entering the Extended Continental Shelf now triggered a response by icebreakerHealyto monitor and shadow the vessels.
U.S. Awards Construction Contract for First Phase of Expanding Nome into Arctic Deepwater Port Construction of America’s first Arctic deepwater port in Nome, Alaska is set to begin, almost two decades after first being proposed. The Army Corps of Engineers awarded a construction contract for Phase 1A of the project to Kiewit Infrastructure West, with completion expected by September 2029.
Convened Participants from 27 Countries in Alaska: "We Feel the Intensity of the Changes" "Building and strengthening global partnerships is more important than ever. And we know that doing that in-person meetings, whether here in Alaska, in Norway, or elsewhere, is imperative," says Rachel Kallander, CEO of Arctic Encounter Summit.
Putin Meeting Trump in the Arctic Has a Purely Practical, Not Political, Reasoning At the time of writing, the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska is only hours away. The meeting takes place in the American Arctic for purely practical, not political reasons. The symbolism, however, is heavy.
Putin and Trump With Joint Press Conference in Alaska The summit between Russian and US Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will begin at 11:30 local time (Alaska Daylight Time), Kremlin confirms. The meeting will take place at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage, Alaska, and will be followed by a joint press conference.
Several Chinese Research Vessels Monitored by US Coast Guard off Alaska On Friday, the US Coast Guard announced that it was monitoring five Chinese research vessels operating in or close to American Arctic waters.
Alaska Ready to Host Trump’s Meeting With Putin On Friday, the presidents of the USA and Russia will meet in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine. State Governor Mike Dunleavy welcomes the meeting. "It's fitting that discussions of global importance take place here," he states.
Greenlandic Top Diplomat in the US: "Everybody Knows about Greenland Now" Anchorage (High North News): "It's not a secret that this has been a special period – a challenging period – and something that we have not experienced before. One of my roles is to give all necessary information to relevant stakeholders in the US," says the Head of Greenland's Representation to the US to HNN.
Statsraad Lehmkuhl Has Set Course for the Northwest Passage On Tuesday night, the Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl set sail from Nuuk, Greenland, embarking on a historical education and research voyage through the Northwest Passage. Aboard are students and researchers from across the world.
Arctic Encounter Summit: “Work With Us, Not Over Us,” Says Greenlandic Politician Anchorage, Alaska (High North News): Greenland has made it clear that it is open for business, not for sale. “We will need to diversify and find investments, but the people of Greenland should have a stake in this,” says Greenlandic Member of Parliament Kuno Fencker.
What the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Entails for the Arctic While US President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act has been heavily criticized for its tax reliefs for the wealthy and significant cuts in welfare spending, the country's Arctic state, Alaska, may benefit from its implementation.
Arctic Encounter Summit 25: Summer Season is also Fire Season in Alaska Anchorage, Alaska (High North News): "The wildland fires are a huge problem for us. Millions of acres of Alaska burn every year," says Deputy Director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.
Massive Earthquake Off Russia's Coast: Tsunami Warning in Parts of Alaska Anchorage (High North News): A tsunami warning has been issued for several countries in the Pacific after a massive earthquake off Russia's coast. The tsunami warning includes parts of Alaska's Aleutian Islands.
Alaska Open For Business As Trump Moves to Reverse Biden Era Oil and Gas Restrictions The Trump Administration plans to open up large swaths of land on Alaska’s North Slope to oil and gas exploration. The proposed change would undo policy protections put in place by the Biden Administration which blocked or limited exploration across the entire Alaska National Petroleum Reserve.
Alaska House of Representatives Opposes Restrictive US-Canada Trade Measures The Alaska House of Representatives has passed a resolution opposing restrictions on cross-border trade between the US and Canada.
Arctic Security Researcher Troy Bouffard Strives for Real-World Relevance in His Work Bodø, Northern Norway (High North News): Dr. Troy Bouffard, Assistant Professor of Arctic Security at the University of Alaska, strives to make his research meaningful and relevant to the real world. "If I wanted my research to matter, I had to find out how Arctic security was connected to national security," he says to HNN.
New Research Shows Svalbard Glacier Has Survived Warmer Past Glaciers are withdrawing across the globe. Since 2000, glaciers have lost between 2 and 39% of their ice regionally and about 5% globally. By using warmer periods in the past as a reference, new research shows that some glaciers could survive warmer conditions given the right settings.
Mass Firings of Federal Employees Affecting Alaska The Trump administration's mass firings of federal employees could have major implications for the state of Alaska and many of its 15,000 federal workers. "Many of these abrupt terminations will do more harm than good," says US Senator Lisa Murkowski (R).
Alaska Senator Murkowski Refutes Trump's False Claims About Ukraine US Senator for Alaska, Lisa Murkowski, responds to Trump's claims about Ukraine and President Zelenskyy, and reacts to the mass firings of federal employees, impacting Alaska.
Russia and US Talks Joint Arctic Energy Projects After Saudi Meeting Russia and the United States discussed possible cooperation on energy projects in the Arctic at a meeting in Saudi Arabia Tuesday.
Japan and U.S. Looking to Form “Joint Venture” For Alaska LNG Project Japan has signaled support for the $44bn Alaska LNG project. President Trump announced the forming of a “joint venture” during a joint press conference with Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba. The Alaska LNG project has been garnering steam in recent months with the signing of a development agreement.
Greenlandic Top Politician On Trump: "You Cannot Own or Control, but Have a Partnership" Tromsø (High North News): "We need stability now," says Aaja Chemnitz, Greenlandic Member of the Danish Parliament. Together with Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski, she states that the US must consider Greenland an ally, not an asset.
Canadian Snow Crab Industry may be Hit Hard by Trump's Proposed Tariffs Trump's plans to impose tariffs on foreign goods could have a significant impact on seafood exports to the US market. While the Canadian snow crab industry would be hit hard by a punishing tariff of 25 percent, it could strengthen the competitiveness of the Norwegian industry.
Canadian Snow Crab Industry may be Hit Hard by Trump's Proposed Tariffs Trump's plans to impose tariffs on foreign goods could have a significant impact on seafood exports to the US market. While the Canadian snow crab industry would be hit hard by a punishing tariff of 25 percent, it could strengthen the competitiveness of the Norwegian industry.
Trump Signs Order to Maximize Resource Development in Alaska President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aiming to boost Alaska's oil, gas, and other natural resource development. Alaska is still a high-risk, high-cost prospect for exploration in untouched areas, a longtime oil and gas journalist points out.
Alaska Looking to Re-Enter Global LNG Market with Massive $44bn Project The proposed Alaska LNG project has taken its next hurdle with the signing of a development agreement. The $44bn project would see Alaska export up to 20m tonnes of LNG per year starting in 2031.
No bids in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil lease sale The oil and gas lease sale for Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge draws no bids from oil companies. “There are some places too special to put at risk," says Acting Interior Deputy. Meanwhile, the U.S. state of Alaska has filed a complaint over restrictions in the sale set by the federal government.
Oil Lease Sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to be Held This Week A congressionally mandated oil lease sale for Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will be held on January 10th. The Biden administration has moved to limit the lease sale to 400,000 acres, the smallest acreage required by law.
Biden Bans New Offshore Drilling in Arctic Bering Sea Ahead of Incoming Trump Administration Following new measures by President Biden much of the U.S. waters around the Bering Strait are now off limits to oil and gas exploration. The ban will likely prove difficult to reverse though upcoming President Trump promised to “unban” it on day one.
Strong Security Focus in Canada's New Arctic Foreign Policy "The Arctic is no longer a low-tension region," said Canada's minister of foreign affairs. Ottawa is now initiating an Arctic security dialogue, strengthening the security perspective at a regional level, and opening new consulates in Anchorage and Nuuk.
Strong Security Focus in Canada's New Arctic Foreign Policy "The Arctic is no longer a low-tension region," said Canada's minister of foreign affairs. Ottawa is now initiating an Arctic security dialogue, strengthening the security perspective at a regional level, and opening new consulates in Anchorage and Nuuk.
Strong Security Focus in Canada's New Arctic Foreign Policy "The Arctic is no longer a low-tension region," said Canada's minister of foreign affairs. Ottawa is now initiating an Arctic security dialogue, strengthening the security perspective at a regional level, and opening new consulates in Anchorage and Nuuk.
Increased Oil Drilling in Alaska on the Agenda With New Trump Administration The oil and gas industry plays a crucial role in the economy of Alaska, but many Alaskans are also torn on the issue of increased oil drilling, says longtime journalist in Alaska, Larry Persily. He shares his view on what a new Trump administration will mean for oil and gas development in the US' Arctic state.
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski (R): Trump's View on Climate is Very Different From the Biden/Harris Administration Reykjavik (High North News): "It shouldn't matter whether a president likes Alaska or not, but that the president recognizes the importance of this region, not only to the United States, but also what it means to our global leadership", Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said at the 2024 Arctic Circle Assembly.
Report: Alaska Seafood Industry Suffered a USD 1.8 Billion Loss from 2022 to 2023 In the past several years, the Alaska seafood industry has experienced a downturn and major changes. A new snapshot estimates that the Alaska fishing industry saw a 50 percent decline in profitability in the period 2021-2023.
NORAD Commander: Unsafe and Unprofessional Conduct by Russian Fighter off Alaska The North American Aerospace Defense Command has published a video in which a Russian Su-35 fighter conducts a close maneuver toward a US F-16 fighter on an interception mission off the coast of Alaska. “The conduct was unprofessional and endangered all,” says NORAD Commander.
China and Russia With Joint Air Patrol off Alaska: First of Its Kind in the Area Last month, China conducted a naval transit as well as a joint air patrol with Russia, off the coast of Alaska. The latter joint operation with bombers is a new development and is a sign of closer military cooperation, says Professor Øystein Tunsjø at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies.
Pan-Arctic Vision 2024 in Greenland: Seeking Arctic Artists To This Fall's Big Stage in Nuuk This year's Pan-ArcticVision will take place in Greenland in October – and calls for contributions from Arctic artists with northern tones and words to express. This is an adventurous opportunity to form border-crossing bonds, share music, and strike a blow for the power of definition in the circumpolar north, the organizers tempt.
In this Giant Meeting Hall, Donald Trump is the Elephant in the Room Anchorage, Alaska (High North News): I entered the year saying I would spend more time discussing with people who disagree with me. Therefore, what could be more natural than traveling to the Republican stronghold of Alaska?
Over 30 Nationalities Gather in Alaska to Discuss the Arctic On April 10th, the largest Arctic policy conference kicks off in North America.
U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker Faces Delays With No Funding Request for 2025, Aims to Acquire Commercial Icebreaker The U.S. Coast Guard did not request additional funding for the Polar Security Cutter icebreaker program in 2025, while it revises the program schedule hinting at further delays. To secure additional icebreaker capacity in the short-term it earmarked $125 million to acquire a commercial icebreaker, likelyM/V Aiviq.
Regaining Arctic Expertise: US Troops in Alaska Making Strides to Become the Army's Arctic Force The 11th Airborne Division recently concluded one of Alaska's coldest and biggest exercises yet. Soon, some 150 troops will conduct an over-the-pole movement from Alaska to Norway for the exercise Arctic Shock. "It is very important for us that we continue our partnerships," Commanding General Eifler says.
What if 20,000 Soldiers Got Stuck Behind a Trailer on the Only Road Linking North and South? Commentary: It was a remarkable coincidence – as if someone had written a script and later taken direction. At the same moment as a US admiral took to the stage to warn against acute crises in the Arctic, my phone made an infernal noise.
Alaska Congresswoman Wants U.S. Congress to Fund Icebreakers The US Coast Guard icebreaker program is far behind the original timeline. U.S. Congresswoman for Alaska, Mary Peltola, urges the US Congress to fund icebreakers in Alaska to meet the increased Russian and Chinese activity in the Arctic.
