The other border problem: How Russia and China’s lawfare threaten the Arctic

What happens when the Arctic starts to look like the South China Sea?

Historically, a neutral region where cooperation prevailed, the Arctic is quickly becoming a contested space. This is no more evident than in the increasing scope and volume of Russian and Chinese lawfare affecting the region. Through excessive maritime regulations, coordinated challenges to Western continental shelf claims, and the use of shadow fleets to avoid accountability, Russia and China are increasingly coordinating their efforts to exert influence and challenge Western claims to Arctic resources and freedom of navigation. As these tactics continue to converge, the United States and its partners — Arctic and non-Arctic — should establish clear strategies to respond and counter or risk ceding control of this critical region to those who seek to reshape the law in their favor.

Asserting full control over U.S. borders is a primary goal of the 2025 National Security Strategy. Yet threats to America’s Arctic border have received little public attention. Through concerted efforts, Russia and China are attempting to undermine the laws and norms that support U.S. geopolitical and economic interests in the Arctic. The United States should adopt a coordinated counter-lawfare strategy to preserve freedom of navigation, deter aggression, and uphold international law in the Arctic. The costs of inaction could be devastating for U.S. strategic interests and for the freedom and prosperity of U.S. allies and partners.

Read more at War on the Rocks