
Executive Summary — Arctic Security & Environmental Change, 2025
1. Accelerating great-power competition and security strategic focusÂ
The Arctic has increasingly been defined as a strategic arena for geopolitical competition in 2025. Intelligence assessments and defence leadership statements emphasise that the Arctic is transitioning from a comparatively cooperative region to a theatre of great-power contestation, with Russia, the United States and China intensifying activities and strategic planning in the High North. A recent risk assessment by Danish Defence Intelligence highlights this trend, noting that the region’s importance has grown as ballistic trajectories and missile routes are directly relevant to global defence postures via the High North.
NATO’s top military commander has explicitly stated that the Arctic is now a front line of strategic competition, reflecting rising concerns about allied deterrence, Russia’s military posture and broader security linkages.
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Tuesday, 13 January 2026 18:51