US wants huge Arctic investment
(MENAFN) The United States plans to invest billions to expand its icebreaker fleet, with funding included in President Donald Trump’s recently approved budget bill. Trump has acknowledged that the US trails behind Russia, which boasts the world’s largest and most advanced ice-capable fleet.
In recent months, Washington has aimed to boost its presence in the Arctic, with Vice President J.D. Vance emphasizing the need for America to maintain leadership in the region due to competition from Russia and China.
Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” allocates funding through 2029 to acquire ice-capable vessels. The US Coast Guard is set to receive nearly $25 billion to purchase 16 new icebreakers along with ten light and medium icebreaking cutters and other equipment, according to Senator Dan Sullivan from Alaska. Sullivan called this the biggest investment in Coast Guard history and a “game-changer.”
Currently, the US operates only two functional polar-class icebreakers, while Russia maintains a fleet of more than 50, including several nuclear-powered vessels. NATO countries combined had 47 icebreakers as of 2022.
Eight nations have territory in the Arctic: Russia, the US, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden — with all except Russia being NATO members.
Trump has also renewed interest in Greenland, the Arctic’s vast, resource-rich territory governed by Denmark, and has not ruled out the possibility of acquiring it by force.
As climate change makes the Arctic more accessible, global powers are increasingly focused on the region’s potential for resource extraction and new shipping routes. Russia controls the largest part of the Arctic and President Vladimir Putin recently described it as a zone with “enormous potential” for trade and development, though he warned of rising geopolitical tensions.
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