U.S. to name ambassador-at-large for the Arctic

Importance grows as shrinking ice opens new sea lanes and resources

China, which describes itself as a "near-Arctic" state, also has ambitions in the Arctic and has said it intended to build a "Polar Silk Road." © AP

August 28, 2022 04:44 JST

(Reuters) -- The United States plans to name an ambassador at large for the Arctic, reflecting the region's growing strategic and commercial importance as its shrinking opens up new sea lanes and vast oil and mineral resources.

Russia has reopened hundreds of Soviet-era military sites in the region, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday, a day after visiting the Arctic, saying Russian capabilities there pose a strategic challenge to the 30-nation alliance.