Current Western policies in the Arctic are creating a dangerous environment in which the region risks turning into an arena of open-ended confrontation involving multiple competing actors. This assessment was offered by Aleksandr Konkov, an associate professor of political science at the Financial University under the Russian government, as he commented on the prospect of a direct military clash between Russia and the United States over control of the Arctic.

Konkov argues that competition for the Arctic did not emerge overnight and has been taking shape for years. He contrasts the region with Antarctica, noting that despite being a continent discovered by Russian explorers, Antarctica remains non-colonized and governed by an international convention that removes it from political rivalry and limits activity there to scientific research. The Arctic, by contrast, has always carried political weight and strategic appeal.

According to Konkov, heightened interest in the Arctic is driven both by its geographic proximity to key global political centers and by its vast resource potential, access to which is becoming increasingly feasible. He points out that while the Arctic Council exists as a platform for cooperation, Western countries effectively weakened their own positions within it. In his view, efforts to isolate Russia led Western participants to disengage from the council’s work, leaving it largely inactive. Konkov suggests that sustained, constructive dialogue might have prevented the current surge in political competition over the region.

He maintains that the confrontational approach pursued by Western politicians within the Arctic Council has resulted in a de facto governance vacuum. This situation, he warns, creates the conditions for a «war of all against all», where the interests of various players collide with growing intensity. In this context, Konkov believes that much will depend on how dialogue develops between US President Donald Trump and the authorities of Greenland.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed reports about possible US plans to deploy a missile defense system known as the «Golden Dome» in Greenland. He said that Russian military officials would closely monitor developments and assess Washington’s actions.

On January 14, the US president stated that Greenland was essential for deploying the Golden Dome system, describing it as a key component of the United States’ national security strategy.