On August 29 (Moscow time), according to TASS news agency, Mr. Anton Kobyakov, Assistant to the Russian President and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the Eastern Economic Forum, said that US President Donald Trump's Greenland plan is actually aimed at expanding the US presence in the Arctic.
According to Mr. Kobyakov, this plan does not only stop in Greenland but may involve many other areas of the Arctic, including Canada and Northern Europe.
He believes that the US may move towards the Northwest Maritime Route in northern Canada. This is a maritime route passing through northern Canadian waters, capable of connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean.
In addition, the US plan may expand to Northern Europe and the Barents Sea, which connects to Russia's Northern Sea Route (NSR).
The Northern Maritime Route runs along Russia's northern coast, through the Arctic Ocean, connecting the Pacific Ocean with the North Atlantic and Europe. Russia is investing heavily in this route, including developing ports, infrastructure and icebreakers.
Mr. Kobyakov believes that if the above-mentioned maritime routes are controlled, the US can create a transport route that competes with Russia's Northern Sea Route.
According to the Russian advisor, the US may also receive support from Scandinavian countries, especially Norway, in its efforts to compete with Russia's maritime route.
Mr. Kobyakov said the project is considered a replacement for the Northern Sea Route, creating a transport route connecting the Pacific Ocean with the North Atlantic and Europe, which has now been suspended.
According to him, the fact that this project has not been implemented will create more opportunities for Russia to consolidate its competitive advantage in the Arctic.
The above assessment is made in the context that the Arctic is increasingly becoming a competitive area between superpowers. New shipping routes in this region are attracting attention as sea ice conditions change, opening up the possibility of shortening some shipping routes between Asia, Europe and North America.
In addition to its transportation value, the Arctic also has large resources and an important strategic position. The US, Russia and Nordic countries are therefore increasingly interested in expanding their presence and protecting interests in this region.
