US Pushes New “Theatre of Conflict” in the Arctic

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Monday that climate change could turn the Arctic into a new  “theatre of conflict” for his country and Russia., as president Vladimir Putin confirmed he would participate in April 22 climate virtual summit hosted by Joe Biden.

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“Climate change exacerbates existing conflicts and increases the chances of new ones – particularly in countries where governments are weak, and resources are scarce,” Blinken said during an event in Maryland.

The comments follow the announcement in recent days by Putin that Russia was building "the most powerful fleet of icebreakers in the world." During his speech, Blinken also noticed that China increased its presence in the Arctic and remarked that Russia is modernizing its military bases in this region.

"Climate change can also create new theatres of conflict. In February, a Russian gas tanker sailed through the Arctic’s Northern Sea Route for the first time. Until recently, that route was only passable a few weeks each year. But with the Arctic warming at twice the rate of the rest of the global average, that period is getting longer," the official explained.