Rodger Baker, Director of the Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics at RANE, discusses the importance of expanding the U.S. strategy in the Arctic to include long-term economic and energy security initiatives.

"Washington’s renewed strategic attention to the Arctic has been welcomed by many, even if it is seen as long overdue. But if it is primarily driven by a perception of Russian or Chinese encroachment, policies will be narrow in scope and vulnerable to the shifting focal point of global strategic competition.

With increased Arctic awareness, there is an opportunity to build a sustainable American Arctic policy. As the United States prepares to appoint an Arctic ambassador, it is time to shift the strategic discussion from merely countering Russia and China to highlighting the intrinsic significance of the American Arctic in and of itself".

Read the full article in The Hill.