Investing in Land and Sea

The Arctic is shifting, along with U.S. economic and strategic interests in the region. To respond to increasing temperatures and melting ice, the U.S. needs infrastructure and technology. But North America is largely behind the ball, compared to Russia and the Nordic countries. To explain the current U.S. position and look at future infrastructure requirements, The Cipher Brief spoke with Admiral Robert Papp, the U.S. State Department’s Special Representative for the Arctic and a former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Cipher Brief: What is going on geographically in the Arctic? You mentioned at a recent Council on Foreign Relations event that the ice is melting, but we still need icebreakers. Can you explain this seeming contradiction and also elaborate more broadly on what is happening geographically?