Xinhua
11 Oct 2026

Discussions revealed contrasting approaches to the region's future, with Washington emphasizing military capabilities and resource development while its allies placed greater weight on sovereignty, local interests and environmental protection.

By Xinhua writers Zhu Haochen, Zhang Yuliang and Zhang Zhaoji

REYKJAVIK, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- The United States and its European and Canadian allies displayed diverging priorities on Arctic security, resource development and climate policy at the 2026 Arctic Circle Assembly, highlighting growing strains in transatlantic relations

As the three-day gathering concluded Saturday in Reykjavik, Iceland, discussions revealed contrasting approaches to the region's future, with Washington emphasizing military capabilities and resource development while its allies placed greater weight on sovereignty, local interests and environmental protection.

HOW TO ENSURE SECURITY?

Founded in 2013 by then-Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, the Arctic Circle holds its annual assembly in Iceland every October and serves as a major international platform for dialogue on Arctic affairs.

Security featured prominently at this year's gathering, but Washington and its allies differed in their priorities. While U.S. officials insisted on expanding military capabilities and infrastructure, European and Canadian officials emphasized sovereignty and autonomy as their paramount concerns.

At Thursday's opening ceremony, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said the United States was investing billions of dollars to strengthen its military presence in the state. He also outlined plans to work with allies on Arctic ports, airports and shipping networks that could serve military needs.

For some U.S. allies, however, concerns over Washington's respect for their sovereignty have complicated security cooperation.

Since returning to the White House in 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his intention to take control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. Despite a new security agreement reached by the United States, Denmark and Greenland in September, trust among the allies has yet to recover.

In Reykjavik, Greenland's Foreign Minister Mute Egede said Greenlanders had endured enormous pressure and uncertainty, reinforcing the importance of autonomy in determining their future. "We will not be spectators to our own future," he stressed.

U.S.-Canada relations have also deteriorated due to Trump's threats to make Canada the "51st state" and his sharp tariff increases on Canadian goods.

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand stressed that the Arctic was not merely a strategic frontier, but also "home" to local people. She said Canada was strengthening "middle-power diplomacy" with Nordic countries and other partners to safeguard peace, security and respect for sovereignty in the Arctic.

Zhao Long, director of the Center for Marine and Polar Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told Xinhua that Arctic affairs were increasingly being securitized amid growing geopolitical rivalry.

He said Washington and its allies did not entirely share the same perceptions of external security threats, making it increasingly difficult for the United States to coordinate a common position amid new tensions among them.

HOW TO SHARE DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS?

As global warming opens up the Arctic and makes shipping routes and natural resources increasingly accessible, questions over how to develop the region and distribute the economic benefits have gained prominence.

At the assembly, U.S. officials enthusiastically promoted plans to expand energy development and infrastructure construction, emphasizing the Arctic's strategic and economic value, while Washington's allies placed greater weight on local communities' right to shape development and share in its benefits.

Dunleavy said the Trump administration has been seeking to transform Alaska's development model to support both defense needs and resource exploitation. Thomas Dans, chairman of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, described U.S. investment in the region as "unprecedented."

Meanwhile, representatives from Greenland, the European Union (EU) and Canada emphasized that Arctic communities should make their own development choices.

"The future of the Arctic cannot be shaped solely by what the world wants to get from the Arctic. It must also take into account what Arctic peoples themselves want," Egede said.

He stressed that development must create opportunities for local residents rather than allow external investment and security infrastructure to override their choices.

Anand also highlighted the Arctic's enormous potential in critical minerals, energy and transportation, but stressed that the key was to ensure that "local people benefit."

HOW TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE?

Climate change emerged as another major point of divergence between Washington and its allies at the assembly.

European and Canadian representatives prioritized climate action and environmental governance, warning that rising temperatures, thawing permafrost and changes in marine ecosystems were already threatening the region.

Asked whether climate change or military threats concerned him more, Egede chose climate change, saying it was "changing the way local people live."

Anand warned that declining sea ice and thawing permafrost were affecting Arctic ecosystems, food security and local livelihoods. She said climate governance should stand alongside military security and economic development as one of the three major issues facing the Arctic.

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela said tackling climate change would remain a central pillar of the EU's Arctic strategy, with environmental protection integrated into every Arctic-related policy.

By contrast, U.S. officials placed less emphasis on climate issues. Dunleavy acknowledged that his discussions with the White House had focused mainly on energy, defense and infrastructure, while climate issues had received "relatively less" attention.

Trump has long dismissed global warming as a "hoax" and announced U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement during both of his presidential terms.

Zhao said Trump's decision to withdraw from the agreement in 2025 had further widened climate policy differences between Washington and its European allies. He warned that downgrading climate cooperation would continue to undermine multilateral governance and scientific cooperation in the Arctic.

Finnish Arctic affairs expert Lassi Heininen said environmental cooperation played an important role in easing military tensions and maintaining geopolitical stability in the region.

He emphasized the importance of preserving such cooperation amid growing strategic competition in the region.