Pan Arctic Forum

PR Newswire published an article titled, “Statement by the Prime Minister on Icelandic National Day”. The article reads in part as follows:

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Icelandic National Day:

“Today, we join Icelandic communities in Canada and around the world to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the proclamation of the independent Republic of Iceland.

“Canada and Iceland share a lasting bond as friends and allies, built on shared democratic values, mutual respect, defence and security cooperation, and close people-to-people ties. Nearly 200,000 Canadians trace their heritage to Iceland, and their important contributions help make Canada the vibrant and open country it is today.

AXIOS published an article titled, “New U.S. Arctic strategy omits climate change, takes aim at China, Russia”. The article reads in part as follows:

Homeland Security Today published an article titled, “Russians ‘Welcome Climate Change’ for Arctic Dominance Plans, Intel Committee Warned”. The article reads in part as follows:

The House Intelligence Committee heard last week that “in some respects” the Russians “welcome climate change” because of how melting ice serves their national security and maritime dominance priorities.

“The Arctic has been a closed-off arena from a defense perspective for years,” testified Office of Naval Intelligence Russia and Eurasia Senior Naval Intelligence Manager Jeffrey Ringhausen. “And now it appears that the ice there is melting, and that’s going to open up, from a Russian perspective, a threat vector to them… norms in the Arctic are now a question of governance, and sort of establishing that governance opens the potentiality for conflict.”

The Arctic Institute published an article titled, “Russian Strategic Intentions in the Arctic”. The article reads in part as follows:

Pavel Devyatkin was invited by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and Joint Chiefs of Staff to contribute to a Strategic Multilayer Assessment (SMA) white paper called “Russian Strategic Intentions“. The publication is part of a series entitled The Future of Global Competition and Conflict. The white paper provides wide-ranging assessments of Russia’s global interests and objectives.

South China Morning Post published an article titled, “The Arctic is the next geopolitical hot spot that the US wants to freeze China out of”. The article reads in part as follows:

The Hill published an article titled, “China, Russia move into the Arctic — and put US at risk”. The article reads in part as follows:

Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called out Russian and Chinese activities and intentions in the Arctic, shocking his fellow foreign ministers at the biannual meeting of the Arctic Council, the premier regional forum for Arctic matters.

Pompeo disturbed a norm that had held since the council’s 1996 founding. For over 20 years Arctic states have attempted to compartmentalize Arctic cooperation on scientific research, environmental protection, fisheries management and search and rescue protocols — avoiding hard-power competition in military security and trade.

The New Yorker published an article titled, “The U.N. Report on Extinction vs. Mike Pompeo at the Arctic Council”. The article reads in part as follows:

Washington Examiner published an article titled, “US rebuffs China’s attempt to play a role in governing the Arctic”. The article reads in part as follows:

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will have a terse message for China at an upcoming meeting of the Arctic Council: Stand down.

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1380 AM WPHM published an article titled, “Pentagon warns about China’s increased activity in the Arctic, growing ambition to expand its presence”. The article reads in part as follows:

China is increasing its activity in the Arctic, building a second ice-breaking ship and looking to expand its footprint in Greenland, according to a new Pentagon report, and Beijing’s presence in the region could lead to the deployment of armed submarines, the report warned.

The warning comes as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo prepares to attend a summit of the Arctic Council, the eight countries with territory in the region, and hopes to rally them to counter Chinese influence.

EURACTIV published an article titled, “Pompeo on EU tour with Arctic stopover”. The article reads in part as follows:

Pompeo heads to Berlin on 7 May to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel and a day later will see Prime Minister Theresa May in London, the State Department announced Wednesday.

Merkel has not hidden her differences with President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly taken the unusual step of criticizing the close ally, especially over the chancellor’s welcome of migrants.

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