Arctic Frontlines: How Russia, China And U.S. Are Fueling A New Cold War | World News

New Delhi: The Arctic is no longer frozen in time. Ice is melting. Tensions are rising. And the world’s biggest powers are locking horns.

In Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump is eyeing Greenland like a king plotting over a forgotten kingdom. He does not talk about it as a bargaining chip. He calls it a necessity. “We need Greenland for national security. I have been told that a long time ago,” he declared.

Just 56,000 people live there, but its value lies in geography, not population.

During the early days of the Cold War, nuclear weapons meant everything. And the fastest path to deliver them ran straight over the North Pole.

Back then, the United States set up a key base in the upper north of Greenland. They called it Thule. Today, it has been renamed as Pituffik Space Base.

That base remains critical. It is part of the U.S. early warning system for missile attacks. And now, Trump wants to build a “golden dome” over America – a shield, perhaps inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome. Such a system would need forward-looking radars. Greenland sits at the edge, ready to detect or launch.

Experts believe that Greenland is “a geographical insurance policy for the U.S. homeland”. It is always seen as a defensive buffer.

But Moscow sees things differently. Russia has long feared that America’s growing missile defenses might blunt the edge of its nuclear threat. Now, Trump’s remarks are rattling old nerves, even among U.S. allies.

Greenland is still part of Denmark. When Trump floated the idea of buying it, outrage rippled through Danish politics. Across the Atlantic, Canadians were equally stunned when Trump suggested their country could become America’s 51st state.

In Europe, leaders now wonder that if NATO’s strongest member stakes a claim on Greenland, how will the alliance react? What happens when a protective shield turns into a point of pressure?

Russia’s Arctic Muscle

One-fifth of Russia’s land lies inside the Arctic. Over half the coastline of the Arctic Ocean belongs to Moscow. The Kremlin has sunk billions into modernising this frontier.

From Norilsk to Nagurskoye, old Soviet airfields have come back to life. Nagurskoye can now host heavy aircraft, even during the dead of winter.

Deep in the Kola Peninsula, Russia’s nuclear submarines stay tucked under thick Arctic ice. These are its silent weapons. They vanish into the depths, awaiting a strike order. This fleet is Russia’s crown jewel – the core of its deterrent power.

After Sweden and Finland joined NATO, the Baltic Sea got narrower for Russia. So their Northern Fleet became even more important.

Most of Russia’s nuclear warheads sit right there in the Kola Arctic. Moscow wants to avoid open militarisation in the Arctic. But it still flexes muscle, and blames the West for pushing first.

Worries are mounting. Denmark’s latest intelligence report warned that Russia might soon show strength in more aggressive ways to send a message.

Svalbard is the flashpoint. Norway runs this island chain under an international treaty. But countries like Russia can operate there. Now, the islands are turning into a chessboard. Moscow wants a military outpost there, one that can respond to future threats.

Britain Steps In, Quietly

Britain does not claim Arctic power status. But it is inching in. Partly to counter Russia. Partly to secure strategic ground.

There is history here too. A narrow channel between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom, called the GIUK Gap, has long been the Atlantic’s bottleneck. During World War II, the United States built bases in Greenland to keep Nazi subs out of it. Through the Cold War, this chokepoint tracked Soviet subs.

Now NATO has sensors under the water again.

In May, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy toured the Arctic. With Iceland, he unveiled a joint plan – use AI to monitor threats, especially Russian vessels and submarines.

But London has gaps. A recent UK Parliament report warned of missing hardware. No submarines dedicated to the Arctic. No patrol aircraft. No early-warning planes.

The government has promised upgrades. More submarines. New plans. But former UK defense official Peter Watkins is not convinced. “The Arctic is where American, Canadian and European security interests converge. Britain must spend more. Pay more attention,” he said.

China Enters the Game

The Arctic is not only a standoff between old Cold War foes. Now, China is moving in, and fast.

It calls itself a “near-Arctic state”. But Beijing has no Arctic coastline. What it does have is icebreaker ships, scientific research stations, joint patrols with Russia near Alaska and a growing economic footprint.

As the ice melts, new sea lanes open. One, cutting through the Arctic Ocean, could be faster and cheaper than the Suez Canal. For China, that route is the “Polar Silk Road”. Trade. Power projection. Influence.

President Xi Jinping wants to plant China’s flag even if it is not literal. And Arctic nations are warming to Beijing’s charm. Academic exchanges. Scientific missions. Fishery treaties. All with a strategic undertone.

But the United States is getting nervous. Trump’s national security team has flagged China’s Arctic moves as covert power plays. Russia, too, is uneasy. A recent leak from Russian security services, published by the New York Times, accused Chinese researchers of spying under the guise of mining and science.

In 2022, Norway caught a suspected Russian spy masquerading as a Brazilian Arctic scholar. Drone sightings in the skies. Unsettling shifts below the ice. Something is changing.

Cold Silence, Rising Stakes

Intelligence gathering is surging across the Arctic. Not just signals. Physical presence. Subtle influence campaigns. Local politics.

In recent months, U.S. surveillance activity has increased in Greenland. Perhaps, Washington is worried that Moscow and Beijing are building quiet footholds. But this new alertness has ruffled feathers in Denmark.

For Europe, the challenge is twofold. Handle Russia. But also ask how far can they trust the United States?

The world’s three great powers are clashing in the Arctic. Competition is speeding up. The ice may still crackle underfoot. But beneath it, a whole new battlefield is forming.