China in the Russian Arctic, Rush for Arctic Resources, Smart Arctic Cities and US Arctic Expertise Challenges

Strengthening Regional Links: Sino-Russian Economic Cooperation in the Arctic

In April 2025, a Chinese delegation conducted a three-day working visit to the Murmansk region, marking a notable step in the deepening of bilateral economic engagement in the Russian Arctic. The visit reflected a broader trend of expanding cooperation, with discussions focused on infrastructure, trade, logistics, and scientific collaboration.

A working delegation from China, led by a senior diplomatic official, had a three-day visit to the region, accompanied by business representatives and sectoral experts in logistics, tourism, trade, and transport. The visit followed the conclusion of a major regional forum on Arctic affairs, reflecting a growing strategic interest in the Russian High North.

During the visit, regional authorities and the delegation discussed expanding cooperation across several sectors. Central to the dialogue was the Northern Sea Route, with the particular attention given to the development of new transport corridors, port infrastructure, and automated terminals. Talks also covered joint opportunities in fisheries, including seafood processing and exports to China, as well as industrial projects linked to regional gasification.

The two sides reviewed educational collaboration, including academic exchanges and research partnerships, as well as the scaling of tourism initiatives.

In 2024, Murmansk region recorded 26,000 tourist arrivals from China, a fivefold increase from the previous year

The itinerary included planned visits to the Murmansk Commercial Port and the Murmansk Arctic State University, reinforcing the emphasis on logistics infrastructure and scientific cooperation. The visit concluded with a symbolic exchange of gifts, marking the strengthening of regional economic ties within a broader geopolitical context. (source: here)

Digital Preservation: A Multinational Arctic Heritage Initiative

The “Digitalization of the Linguistic and Cultural Heritage of Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic” project, initiated by the Russian Federation and approved by the Arctic Council in 2020, aims to preserve the languages and cultures of Arctic Indigenous communities through a multilingual digital platform, arctic-megapedia.com. Co-led by Norway and the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON), and coordinated by the UNESCO Chair at the M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University, the project aligns with the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032).

Implemented in three phases (2021–2024), the project has involved expeditions, archival research, and the creation of digital content, including a GIS-based map and educational tools. The platform centralizes information on Indigenous languages, traditional knowledge, and cultural practices, supporting both local communities and international researchers.

Smart, But for Whom? Arctic Cities' Digital Future Leaves Gaps for Indigenous Communities

As Arctic cities race to embrace digital transformation, a critical question emerges: do smart city projects serve all residents equally, or do they reinforce existing exclusions? In Just Smart? The Comparative Analysis of Smart Initiatives in North America and Nordic Countries, pulished in Polar Geography authors Diana Khaziakhmetova, Igor Khodachek , Alexandra Middleton and Vera Kuklina examine whether smart city strategies in the region align with principles of justice and inclusivity, especially for Indigenous populations.

The study compares smart initiatives across Arctic cities, focusing on how citizen participation is structured and whose voices are heard. It uses a qualitative analysis of media and official documents, framed through theories of justice, digital participation, and Indigenous recognition. The Arctic, marked by both climate vulnerability and colonial legacies, offers a distinct lens for understanding how smart technology interacts with long-standing social inequalities.

The authors conclude that while smart city efforts promote innovation, they fall short in addressing the specific needs and rights of Indigenous communities. Smart initiatives are often framed as inclusive but rarely tailored to the Arctic’s complex social fabric. The study calls for a rethinking of how justice is defined in smart city planning, urging more attention to local context, multilingual accessibility, and Indigenous inclusion.

Russia Races to Tap Arctic Riches With Sweeping Licensing Push

Russia is accelerating its extraction of Arctic mineral wealth at a pace not seen in decades, backed by new federal licensing programs and major investments in exploration. Designed to last through 2035, these programs—rolled out in 2023 by the Ministry of Natural Resources that are already reshaping the northern frontier into a hotbed of resource development.

To date, 64 mining licenses have been auctioned off under the new regime, with another 112 plots on deck. In 2025 alone, 30 additional sites will go to auction. Among them are some of the largest untapped mineral deposits in the Russian Arctic.

In Murmansk, the Amerika field holds an estimated 3.5 million tons of titanium, while Gremyakha-Vymers has an even more staggering 122.3 million tons of titanium and 62,440 tons of phosphorus. Meanwhile, in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), the Odinokoye field is set for auction with reserves of 127,500 tons of tin and 10,500 tons of tungsten. Further east, in Krasnoyarsk Krai, the Porozhinskoye deposit adds 29,460 tons of manganese to the Arctic’s growing ledger.

Russia’s ambitious federal initiative, Geology: Revival of a Legend, is a key driver. In 2024, it led to the discovery of the Pinkeljavr field in Murmansk, which contains 77 million tons of classified reserves and an additional 36 million tons in off-balance and forecasted resources. In Yakutia, the project has added nearly 5 billion tons of oil and gas equivalent to the country’s extractable reserves.

In 2025, exploration begins on 10 new plots across Yakutia, targeting further increases in hydrocarbon reserves, with a goal of reaching 8.34 billion tons by 2027. Simultaneously, federal funding is ramping up for geological surveys across the region, including diamond fields in Yakutia, chrome ore in Chukotka, and copper and gold across multiple sites.

The projected quantity is massive: 23 million tons of forecasted chrome ore, 900,000 tons of copper, 30 tons of gold, and 80 million carats of diamonds—all by 2027.

Moscow’s Arctic strategy is clear: to turn the region into a cornerstone of resource security and economic power. However, environmental concerns and logistical challenges remain (source here).

Lowest Record for Arctic Ice in 47 years

According to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), Arctic sea ice extent in March 2025 was 6% below the average, marking the lowest extent for March in the 47-year satellite record.

This decline in sea ice is a significant indicator of the ongoing impacts of climate change in the Arctic region. The reduction in ice cover affects not only the local ecosystems and wildlife but also has broader implications for global climate patterns. The diminished sea ice contributes to a feedback loop, where less ice leads to more solar absorption by the ocean, further accelerating warming and ice melt.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service continues to monitor these changes, providing valuable data to inform climate policy and adaptation strategies. The record-low sea ice extent in March 2025 underscores the urgency of addressing climate change and its far-reaching effects.

US Arctic Expertise Challenges

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, a prominent nonpartisan think tank in Washington, D.C., is facing significant operational challenges following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in March 2025. This order aims to eliminate several federal entities, including the Wilson Center, as part of a broader initiative to reduce the size of the federal government. In response to the executive order, nearly all of the Wilson Center's 130 staff members have been placed on administrative leave, effectively halting its operations.

The Wilson Center's Polar Institute has been a key research hub for Arctic and Antarctic issues, focusing on climate change, geopolitics, indigenous rights, and resource extraction. It has provided critical insights to policymakers and researchers through conferences, reports, and collaborative projects. With the suspension of federal funding, the future of the Polar Institute is uncertain, potentially impacting the availability of specialized resources and collaboration on polar research. This could affect ongoing scholarship and international cooperation on polar affairs.

The ADAC-ARCTIC Center of Excellence, led by the University of Alaska Anchorage, was part of a broader initiative to address homeland security challenges in the Arctic. The center focused on improving resilience in the region through technology, innovation, and collaboration, with a $46 million funding allocation over ten years. However, funding for the center was recently cut following a decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to halt all grants and cooperative agreements within its Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). This move, part of a larger effort to realign DHS’s priorities, was detailed in a memo that cited potential misalignment with new strategic guidance. As a result, ADAC-ARCTIC and other centers under the S&T’s Centers of Excellence program were forced to cease operations, disrupting critical research and community engagement in Arctic security. (source: here)

Additionally, U.S. experts were restricted from attending events in the Arctic due to new government policies. One notable example is the Arctic Spirit conference in Rovaniemi, Finland, where U.S. security experts would be unable to participate. The U.S. Army War College had planned to host a panel on the impact of climate change on security, but experts were barred from traveling due to strict travel restrictions and limits on discussion topics.

This decision is part of broader uncertainty around U.S. involvement in Arctic international research collaborations. (source here)

The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) will host a Community Call on April 11, 2025, to discuss sustaining U.S. Arctic research collaboration amidst current challenges, focusing on Arctic Research Exchange Activities, sharing successful programs, and exploring strategies for continued mobility and knowledge-sharing across institutions. https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/VnPk_q2eSRyykRq8rcIPug

Call For Chapters

Finally, together with my co-editor Monojit D.

we published the call for chapters, so if you are interested in contributing, please be in touch!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Yours,

Alexandra