Arctic and Antarctica

Melting ice is opening new sea routes and access to resources in the Arctic and Antarctic, driving environmental, economic, and security concerns. Chinese influence at the poles reflects these areas’ growing status as a new global crossroads, offering new sources of raw materials and avenues for geopolitical competition. CSIS produces dynamic analysis of the security issues facing the two unique polar regions in their growing strategic importance and unforgiving climates.

Photo: EMIL STACH/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: EMIL STACH/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty Images

Trump’s Greenland Ambition Is About U.S. Power, Not Alliances

Trump's push for Greenland isn't about NATO security—it's about controlling vast sums in rare earth minerals. European appeals to Cold War alliances miss the point of his America First doctrine, which prioritizes U.S. economic gain above all else.

Commentary by Sir Robin Niblett — January 14, 2026

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NATO and the Arctic

Podcast Episode by Commander Rachael Gosnell and Benjamin Jensen — July 16, 2024

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Photo: MAXIME POPOV/AFP via Getty Images

Photo: MAXIME POPOV/AFP via Getty Images

Arctic Security after a Year of War

January 25, 2023 • 4:00 – 4:45 pm EST
Hosted by Lillan and Robert D. Stuart Jr. Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies
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Otto Svendsen

Otto Svendsen

Associate Fellow, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program
Max Bergmann

Max Bergmann

Director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center
Iris A. Ferguson

Iris A. Ferguson

Senior Associate (Non-resident), Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program

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Trump’s Greenland Ambition Is About U.S. Power, Not Alliances

Trump's push for Greenland isn't about NATO security—it's about controlling vast sums in rare earth minerals. European appeals to Cold War alliances miss the point of his America First doctrine, which prioritizes U.S. economic gain above all else.

Commentary by Sir Robin Niblett — January 14, 2026

ChinaPower

China’s Polar Ambitions: A Conversation with Dr. Matthew Funaiole and Mr. Brian Hart

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Matthew Funaiole and Mr. Brian Hart join us to discuss China’s ambitions in the polar regions. They start by explaining China’s scientific, commercial, strategic, and diplomatic interests in the polar regions and how the polar regions fit into China’s broader strategy of leveraging “new strategic frontiers” to expand its influence, outpace rivals, and set global rules and norms.

Podcast Episode by Bonny Lin, Matthew P. Funaiole, and Brian Hart — January 16, 2025

CSIS ChinaPower

China Makes Progress on Its Fifth Antarctic Research Station

New satellite imagery, including images captured using synthetic aperture radar, shows recent construction progress at Qinling Station, China's newest research station in Antarctica.

Commentary by Matthew P. Funaiole, Brian Hart, Aidan Powers-Riggs, Jennifer Jun, and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. — December 19, 2024

Examining PRC Activities in the Arctic

Please join the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program for a conversation with Iris A. Ferguson, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Arctic and Global Resilience, on PRC activities in the Arctic.

Event — December 5, 2024

Audio Briefs

Recruiting Friends for the Polar Icebreaker Express: Viewing the ICE Pact through Broader Defense Industrial Cooperation

An audio version of “Recruiting Friends for the Polar Icebreaker Express: Viewing the ICE Pact through Broader Defense Industrial Cooperation,” a new Critical Questions by CSIS’s Katy Buda, Gregory Sanders, and Cynthia Cook. This audio was generated with text-to-speech by Eleven Labs. 

Podcast Episode by Katy Buda, Gregory Sanders, and Cynthia R. Cook — August 1, 2024

Audio Briefs