A ceasefire in Ukraine will be the focus for Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump when they meet in Alaska, but cooperation between Russia and the United States in the Arctic would also be a salient topic for discussion, a regional expert has told Newsweek.
Andreas Østhagen, from the Fridtjof Nansen Institute in Oslo, said Anchorage is the natural location for the presidents to discuss the surrounding strategic region, which is drawing increasing attention from both countries.
He said that oil and gas exploration, developing the Northern Sea route, and fishing are areas of mutual interest that could be discussed.
Why It Matters
Both Russia and the U.S. have prioritized the Arctic, making it a natural topic for a summit held in Alaska, which is the gateway to the region where the Bering Strait is a direct maritime passage between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans.
What To Know
The Russian and American presidents will meet at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage on Friday, during which the Trump administration will hope for a breakthrough in the Russia-Ukraine war.
As well as the war in Ukraine, Østhagen said that Russia could discuss developing the Northern Sea route (NSR) into a commercial traffic lane, which is a Russian project that the U.S. plays a part in but is not the primary driver of.
The NSR, which goes along the Arctic coastline, is the shortest shipping route between the western part of Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region, and its strategic value chimes with Trump’s statements about Greenland, which he wants to acquire.
Through it sail container ships, oil tankers, bulk carriers transporting minerals and ores, and vessels servicing oil, gas and mining operations in Alaska and Siberia. It is becoming more navigable due to global warming.
Under the Biden administration and Trump’s first administration, efforts were made to expand collaboration between Russia and the U.S., focusing on enabling safer traffic through the Bering Strait, which divides Alaska from Russia, said Østhagen, who is also a senior fellow at the Arctic Institute.
“If any shipping traffic takes that shortcut between Europe and Asia, it has to go via the Russian Arctic and via the Bering Strait,” Østhagen said.
The Bering Sea is also home to some of the most profitable fish stocks in the world, where not only Russia and the U.S. are actively fishing, but also other countries like China.
There are potential plans for oil and gas development in the Arctic, and joint exploration in shared areas like the Chukchi Sea, north of the Bering Strait, could be considered, though profitability and political factors will influence such projects.
“There’s a lot to talk about in terms of practical functional cooperation, first and foremost to try to set up shipping or more oil and gas exploration in the Arctic,” said Østhagen.
What People Are Saying
Andreas Østhagen, research director of Arctic and Ocean Politics at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, told Newsweek: “The fact that both presidents have put the Arctic high on their agendas would make Alaska a natural point to discuss the region.”
“Russia perhaps could offer developing the Northern Sea route into a viable commercial traffic lane that’s a Russian project, which the U.S. plays a part in, but is not the primary driver of,” he said.
What Happens Next
The White House has described Friday’s summit in Anchorage as a “listening exercise,” for Trump. Before then, European leaders are likely to push for the U.S. to keep Ukraine’s interests in mind.
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