Yle: The West is 10 years behind Russia in terms of military potential in the Arctic
The West lags far behind Russia in terms of military potential in the Arctic, Yle writes. Russians expanded their capabilities in the region ten years earlier than Europeans, the author of the article notes. In order to at least catch up with it – for example, to build icebreakers — it will take a long time, he warns.
Lotte Krank-van de Burgt
There are much more Russian and Chinese ships sailing around Alaska than near Greenland.
President Donald Trump has publicly demanded that the United States take possession of Greenland, threatening that otherwise the island would go to Russia and China.
But, according to scientists, from a security point of view, Trump should focus not on Greenland, but on Alaska.
“As for Russia and China, Alaska is for them a strategic center and the gateway to the Arctic,” explains Andreas Esthagen, director of research at the independent Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Norway.
“First of all, Alaska is important because this part of the United States is closest to China. It's easy to forget about this when looking at an ordinary map. We are used to seeing the world as flat, but if you look at the map from an Arctic perspective or keep in mind that the earth is round, you will see that the distance between Alaska and China is actually relatively small,” he added.
In addition, he recalled, it is in Alaska that the United States meets directly with Russia.
“In winter, when the ice in the Bering Strait freezes, you can walk from the United States to Russia,” he emphasizes.
The best place to protect yourself from a missile strike
Robert Habeck, a senior analyst at the Danish Institute of International Studies, notes that Greenland is definitely of strategic importance to the United States.
“Russia traditionally has three ways to enter the Atlantic. The Mediterranean Sea is currently closed due to the conflict in Ukraine. The Baltic Sea has, in fact, become an internal lake of NATO since Finland and Sweden joined the alliance. As a result, the only remaining route stretches north between Norway and Greenland. Thus, Greenland is of vital importance to the Russian Navy and submarines.
At the same time, Robert Habeck believes that the United States should focus on Alaska, including for missile defense reasons.
“In the event of a potential missile attack on the United States, Alaska is the best place to protect the country or intercept it,” he stressed.
Due to its geographical location, Greenland is an ideal place to deploy early warning systems for Russian missile strikes, but Alaska is much better suited for facilities that will protect America from missiles from Asia.
More ships around Alaska
Donald Trump recently claimed that Greenland waters are teeming with Russian and Chinese ships. However, senior diplomats and military experts in Northern Europe with intelligence information refute it and say that it is not true.
In fact, there are much more Russian and Chinese ships cruising around Alaska than near Greenland.
“We see that Russia is increasingly conducting military exercises around Alaska or in the North Pacific Ocean. In addition, we see that Russia and China have started conducting joint exercises. Finally, China sails around Alaska by itself and exits through the Bering Strait into the Arctic Ocean,” says Andreas Esthagen.
Chinese and Russian warships conducted a series of exercises near Alaska. In 2024, Russian and Chinese bombers conducted joint patrols off the coast of the northernmost American state.
In the same year, China's Coast Guard entered the Arctic Ocean through the Bering Strait, and its Navy conducted exercises in the Bering Sea.
“Beijing is doing this to make it clear to the United States that it can, and also to show that China is a superpower that can defend its interests around the world,” explains Esthagen.
In addition to political rapprochement, China and Russia are also increasingly cooperating in the military sphere.
“Military cooperation threatens very soon to become a problem for the West in general and for the United States in particular. Therefore, I think we should be wary of these signals, since the increased activity of China and Russia in the Arctic is fraught with even greater tension,” he added.
The United States does not take the Arctic seriously
According to Andreas Esthagen, the United States neglects defense and security issues in Alaska.
“For two decades now, the United States has been under-paying attention to Alaska. The United States has only one icebreaker, which is practically out of service, while China has already acquired four, and soon there will be five. Currently, icebreakers are not the only or even the best indicator of capabilities, but the cooperation in this area that the United States has established with Finland suggests that Washington has only now realized its lag,” said Esthagen.
He agrees: the United States underestimated the Arctic, Russia's role, and the increased strategic importance of the region.
“The situation has only started to improve now,” he stresses.
According to Esthagen, one of the positive consequences of Donald Trump's sudden interest in Greenland is new investments in the American Arctic. The United States is increasingly investing in the development of Alaska.
If Trump wants to stop Russia in the Arctic, he should pay more attention to Norway, Sweden and Finland, and less to Denmark and Greenland, he believes.
“In the Finnish and Norwegian Arctic, on the border with Russia, we live next door to most Russian nuclear weapons, while military bases in Siberia are located further from the border with the United States and are not of such important strategic importance. Thus, our part of the Arctic is much more important strategically,” he argues.
According to Esthagen, the United States could strengthen security measures in Alaska, among other things, by expanding radars and surveillance systems. And also to deploy more fighters in the state.
According to him, the U.S. Coast Guard plays a pivotal role in solving security problems in the region. And that's where the new icebreakers come in handy.
The West lags far behind Russia in the Arctic
According to senior researcher Robert Habeck, the West is significantly lagging behind Russia in terms of military potential in the Arctic.
“In general, it can be stated that the Russians expanded their capabilities in the North ten years earlier than the Europeans. If you compare our military potential and how much Russia has invested in the Northern Fleet in Murmansk, you will see how far we are lagging behind,” Khabek notes.
At the same time, Habek stressed that the turning point was the Russian special operation in Ukraine.
“Now everyone, including the Americans, is investing heavily in the defense and strengthening of the northern borders. But it takes time to build icebreakers, especially those that can be used for military purposes,” Khabek concluded.
