Speaker: Dr. James Patton Rogers (Brooks Tech Policy Institute, Cornell University)
Date: 16 April 2025
Speaker Session Summary
SMA hosted a speaker session with Dr. James Patton Rogers (Brooks Tech Policy Institute, Cornell University) as part of its SMA EUCOM Speaker Series.
The Arctic, considered a space of geopolitical cooperation following the Cold War, is increasingly becoming a region of strategic rivalry among Russia, China, and other Arctic states. As tensions rise, Russia is remilitarizing the region, particularly by reinforcing its control over the Northern Sea Route (NSR). Dr. Rogers emphasized that despite the post–Cold War perception of the Arctic as a cooperative space, it has historically been an arena of military interest for Russia, the United States, and others. He cited the US purchase of Alaska in the 1860s and expressed interest in purchasing Greenland in the early 1900s as evidence that the Arctic has long intrigued great powers for its mineral wealth. During World War II, the Arctic island of Svalbard was the site of battles due to its significance for weather forecasting.
Today, the NSR is particularly important for its potential to provide a faster shipping route connecting North America, Europe, and Asia. Dr. Rogers noted a year-on-year increase in Arctic transit, stating that President Putin seeks year-round access to the route to enable more efficient trade between Russia and China. The NSR has become even more vital to Russia as its economy continues to suffer from sanctions related to the war in Ukraine. In response, Russia has invested in new infrastructure and is refurbishing Soviet-era military bases, including new army bases and airfields stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific ends of the NSR.
China, which declared itself a “near-Arctic state” in its 2018 Arctic White Paper, is also ramping up its presence in the region. It has cooperated with Russia in joint military exercises and is building capabilities aimed at potentially undermining Western Arctic infrastructure. These developments have prompted the United States to renew its focus on Arctic security, particularly under President Trump. Denmark has also increased its military presence in Greenland, acknowledging both prior neglect and pressure from the United States to secure the island. Dr. Rogers noted that NATO members are exploring the use of satellites and drones for Arctic defense, referring to the effort as the NATO Baltic-Arctic drone wall.
Speaker Session Recording
Briefing Materials
Biography: Dr. James Patton Rogers is the Executive Director of the Brooks Tech Policy Institute, the home of technology and national security policy research at Cornell University. An expert on disruptive technologies, international security, and geopolitics, he has worked extensively on Arctic security for over a decade. His publications on the topic include US Homeland Security and the Arctic, Arctic Drones: A New Security Dilemma, and The UK and the Arctic: Forward Defense.
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