March 18, 2025

A New Age for US-Russia Arctic Cooperation?

Ceasefire talks could be a catalyst for advancing cooperation in the Arctic, but the climate crisis should not be forgotten.

Pavel Devyatkin

Fishermen work on the ice of the Gulf of Finland against the backdrop of the nuclear icebreaker Yakutia, a key tool in Russia’s Arctic program, while US President Donald Trump has ordered the development and approval of a program to acquire a US icebreaker fleet. (Artem Priakhin / Sipa via AP Images)

US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia and the Trump-Putin phone call signal a possible negotiation for peace in Ukraine and new opportunities for the countries’ relations, including in the Arctic region.

The Arctic, warming four times faster than the rest of the world, may be the key region for the US and Russia to advance cooperation. US-Russia rapprochement may broadly benefit the world by bringing an end to the disastrous war in Ukraine and reducing the risk of nuclear war, but existential environmental issues still demand attention.

The Trump administration has started purging government websites of climate data. It is now the task of civil society to elevate climate change as a concern and pressure the two countries to include climate change in the Arctic cooperation agenda. The Arctic climate crisis is the “canary in the coal mine” for what awaits other regions.

At the February 18, 2025, Rubio-Lavrov meeting in Riyadh, Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, named the region as a potential setting for US-Russia cooperation: “We need to pursue joint projects, including, for example, in the Arctic.” The Arctic region makes sense as a setting for cooperation as the two sides have explicitly expressed interest in exploring cooperation in energy, investment, and geopolitical issues. Western sanctions on Russia have led Moscow to step up its cooperation in the Arctic with China in joint energy ventures and grand plans for Arctic shipping. US officials now see Arctic cooperation as a potential means to “drive a wedge” between Moscow and Beijing.

In my meetings in Moscow with American and Russian diplomats and businessmen over the past few weeks, it is clear that many are interested in diverse forms of Arctic cooperation, from cultural diplomacy that celebrates the commonalities of Indigenous peoples on both sides of the Bering Strait, to scientific diplomacy to understand and adapt to climate hazards faced by both nations. Business interests, however, are at the top of the agenda.

Trump’s suggestion to acquire Greenland, not ruling out military or economic coercion, has reignited global concerns over Arctic stability. Trump’s threats against Denmark, a NATO ally, have caused alarm in the Euro-Atlantic community. While some Russian state media pundits celebrated Trump’s statements, Russian diplomats criticized the destabilizing effect of the proposal and said that Trump’s plan “can only bring uncertainty and tension to the region.”

Current Issue

Cover of April 2025 Issue

Together with Trump’s desire to acquire Ukraine’s resources and reduce the US’ dependence on Chinese rare earth, it is clear that rare earth minerals are a key focus of Trump’s political worldview. Greenland has large deposits of rare earth elements and is strategically positioned alongside Arctic shipping lanes and offshore oil deposits. Putin’s offer to open Russian rare earth minerals to joint exploration with the US may also have implications for Arctic cooperation.

Trump has grumbled about Russian and Chinese ships “all over the place” near Greenland, indicating an element of great power competition in Trump’s Greenland fixation. This is a misunderstanding of Arctic security, as Russian and Chinese military activity is far from Greenland, occasionally operating together in the Bering Strait near Alaska. Greenland may, however, play a role in North American defense as a radar outpost to detect threats coming from across the North Pole.

The announced plan to revamp diplomatic relations and restore the staff of the countries’ diplomatic missions will significantly reduce the current obstacles to US-Russia scientific cooperation in the Arctic. By making it easier to issue visas and travel between the two countries, Americans and Russians will again be able to conduct joint research, expeditions, and scientific conferences and build models to better understand the unfolding climate emergency. Scientific cooperation to understand the changes affecting sea ice, permafrost, ecosystems, and local communities has been blunted by the political fallout of the war in Ukraine.

Cooperation in the Arctic can help build regional stability. More importantly, Arctic cooperation will build trust between the US and Russia that could complement or spill over into other crucial fields of cooperation such as arms control, Middle East peace, and global health.

Support independent journalism that exposes oligarchs and profiteers


Donald Trump’s cruel and chaotic second term is just getting started. In his first month back in office, Trump and his lackey Elon Musk (or is it the other way around?) have proven that nothing is safe from sacrifice at the altar of unchecked power and riches.

Only robust independent journalism can cut through the noise and offer clear-eyed reporting and analysis based on principle and conscience. That’s what The Nation has done for 160 years and that’s what we’re doing now.

Our independent journalism doesn’t allow injustice to go unnoticed or unchallenged—nor will we abandon hope for a better world. Our writers, editors, and fact-checkers are working relentlessly to keep you informed and empowered when so much of the media fails to do so out of credulity, fear, or fealty.

The Nation has seen unprecedented times before. We draw strength and guidance from our history of principled progressive journalism in times of crisis, and we are committed to continuing this legacy today.

We’re aiming to raise $25,000 during our Spring Fundraising Campaign to ensure that we have the resources to expose the oligarchs and profiteers attempting to loot our republic. Stand for bold independent journalism and donate to support The Nation today.

Onward,

Katrina vanden Heuvel

Editorial Director and Publisher, The Nation

Pavel Devyatkin

Pavel Devyatkin is a senior associate at the Arctic Institute (Washington, DC) and a PhD fellow and lecturer at HSE University (Moscow). @PavelDevyatkin

More from The Nation

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, and other cabinet members, applaud President Donald Trump’s remarks about peace with Russia at a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

Peace, Not Surrender for Ukraine Peace, Not Surrender for Ukraine

We now have a chance to seize the opportunity that we failed to seize after the end of the Cold War.

Anatol Lieven

Protesters carrying a placard showing former president Rodrigo Duterte are blocked by anti-riot policemen near Malacanang palace in Manila, 2025.

Rodrigo Duterte Is at the Hague. What’s Next for the Philippines? Rodrigo Duterte Is at the Hague. What’s Next for the Philippines?

His arrest by the ICC was a monumental step in prosecuting his bloody drug war. But it’s also the latest episode in a battle between the Philippines’ two political dynasties.

Walden Bello

Palestinian children and journalists disperse as Israeli tanks enter the Jenin camp for Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank, on February 23, 2025.

Why Palestinians Can’t Sleep Why Palestinians Can’t Sleep

Sleep deprivation is a form of torture. For Palestinians, it’s a regular way of life.

Zehra Imam

People gather against a backdrop of unlit buildings in Havana, as Cuba’s national power grid has effectively collapsed.

Life in Cuba Under Sanctions Life in Cuba Under Sanctions

Ordinary Cubans are trapped in a vicious circle of government mismanagement exacerbated by the US embargo.

Feature / David Montgomery

South African farmer Tewie Wessels addresses a group of white South Africans supporting US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk during a demonstration in Pretoria, on February 15, 2025.

Why Trump Is Threatened by South Africa Why Trump Is Threatened by South Africa

The country’s Constitution gives its citizens more than a right to the pursuit of happiness. But attempts to redeem that commitment to justice have enraged American reactionaries....

Susan Neiman

Protesters hold a candlelight vigil demanding justice for drug war victims, after the arrest of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, in Quezon City on March 11, 2025.

Rodrigo Duterte Used the Philippines’ US-Made Constitution Against Itself Rodrigo Duterte Used the Philippines’ US-Made Constitution Against Itself

The autocratic spectacle of Duterte’s presidency should be a warning to the United States.

Jill Damatac