Meeting Arctic security threats: Do Europe’s new strategies make sense?

26 Oct 2026 12:03 PM

EXPERT COMMENT

Responding to security threats from Russian military capabilities and increasing Chinese activity are largely sensible. But a lack of alignment on climate policy risk undermining the security they seek to strengthen.

September’s security agreement between the United States, Greenland and Denmark has, for the time being, lowered the political temperature in the High North following months of tension over US ambitions towards Greenland. But the Arctic is being reshaped by multiple converging factors.

Accelerating climate change and ecosystem degradation are intersecting with geopolitical tensions, military activity, and competition for resources to make the region increasingly important. Arctic sea lanes, long considered unviable, are drawing interest following disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea – though they are still not reliably ice-free.

In response, the UK published its updated Arctic Policy Framework on 15 October, swiftly followed by the EU’s own updated strategy for the Arctic ‘Europe’s Northern Neighbourhood’ on 20 October.

Both documents make important moves on enhancing military preparedness in the region. But alongside strategies for securing an Arctic that is melting, greater efforts are needed to keep it frozen.

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