America has fewer icebreakers than China or Russia. Does that leave us vulnerable?
As melting ice opens up trade routes in the Arctic Ocean, the Far North is becoming another geopolitical battlefield between the United States and its adversaries. The U.S. Coast Guard has fewer ships able to puncture through the frozen sea than China or Russia, and some writers fear that America’s Arctic interests are becoming vulnerable to authoritarian expansion. Washington might end up like a nervous boy on a first date — unable to break the ice.
“Both Putin and Xi have made clear,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said, “that the High North is key to their strategic interests.” Indeed, Wall Street Journal reporters William Mauldin and Alan Cullison have highlighted the authoritarians’ Arctic activity, including Russia’s increased presence in the region and Beijing’s use of its intelligence network to back Moscow’s activities in the area.
Interesting that these articles from the Spectator & the WSJ mention Canada only in passing.
