{"id":6853,"date":"2026-10-07T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/rubio-warns-russia-and-china-are-already-moving-in-the-arctic\/"},"modified":"2026-10-07T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T14:00:00","slug":"rubio-warns-russia-and-china-are-already-moving-in-the-arctic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mikhailinvest.com\/ru\/rubio-warns-russia-and-china-are-already-moving-in-the-arctic\/","title":{"rendered":"Rubio Warns Russia and China Are Already Moving in the Arctic"},"content":{"rendered":"

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signaled a renewed American push to strengthen security in the Arctic, warning that US adversaries and competitors are already acting in a region of growing strategic importance.<\/p>\n

Standing alongside Iceland’s foreign minister, Thorgerour Katrin Gunnarsdottir, Rubio, on the first stop of a three-nation tour of NATO allies, cast the strategically located NATO member as a critical link in the defense of North America and Europe.<\/p>\n

The trip comes as Russia’s military and covert capabilities and China’s expanding Arctic ambitions drive greater attention to the north.<\/p>\n

\u201cIceland sits at the center of many of the questions surrounding the security and defense of our shared region,\u201d Rubio said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose threats are growing, which is why this focus on the Arctic in general and Iceland, in particular, is so critical.\u201d<\/p>\n

His visit included a stop at Hofdi House, the site of the 1986 summit between US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.<\/p>\n

Forty years later, Rubio and Gunnarsdottir recreated the leaders’ famous handshake, highlighting Iceland’s enduring role in the strategic relationship between North America, Europe, and the Arctic.<\/p>\n

Rubio did not announce plans for a new permanent US military base in Iceland, but he signaled that Washington is open to expanding its security presence.<\/p>\n

Asked whether the US could increase its military footprint or surveillance capabilities following a new US-Danish-Greenland defense agreement, Rubio said Washington would work with Icelandic authorities to determine what more could be done.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there’s a willingness to do more together,\u201d he said, pointing to Iceland’s infrastructure, technology and ability to provide surveillance and domain awareness.<\/p>\n

The US ended its permanent military presence at Keflavik in 2006, but allied activity has continued through exercises, maritime patrols and rotational deployments.<\/p>\n

Rubio said the strategic environment has since changed. \u201cThe world has changed over the last 20 years. There’s a lot of focus on the Arctic,\u201d he said, arguing that Iceland’s location is important not only to NATO’s defense of Europe but also to the defense of the US homeland.<\/p>\n

More than 1,200 Americans participated with allied forces in the Northern Viking 2026 exercise last month, part of annual military cooperation in and around Iceland.<\/p>\n

Rubio stressed that Iceland’s lack of a conventional military does not prevent it from making an important contribution to NATO.<\/p>\n

Instead, the country provides territory, infrastructure, surveillance capabilities and access for allied forces.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to continue to build upon that as a way to prevent conflict,\u201d Rubio said. \u201cHistory teaches us that deterrence is the best prevention of violence and the best preventer of war.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rubio said the security risks facing Iceland and its allies extend beyond conventional military threats.<\/p>\n

Asked whether Iceland faces a direct threat from Russia, he cited covert activity, threats to undersea cables and vulnerabilities around shipping lanes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are direct threats,\u201d Rubio said. \u201cAnd those threats in the 21st century aren’t just military threats; they’re also economic, commercial threats that have implications on the national security of our respective countries.\u201d<\/p>\n

The comments reflect a broader NATO concern that the Arctic and North Atlantic are becoming increasingly important strategic spaces for submarine activity, maritime routes, communications infrastructure and access to North America.<\/p>\n

Erlingur Erlingsson, a senior visiting fellow at the Institute of International Affairs at the University of Iceland, told RFE\/RL that Iceland has welcomed improved allied security awareness in the High North, including NATO’s Arctic Sentry initiative and growing European capabilities.<\/p>\n

But he cautioned against losing sight of the larger European security picture.<\/p>\n

\u201cRussian capabilities, particularly gray zone warfare, long-range strike, and submarine, remain a significant threat,\u201d Erlingsson said.<\/p>\n

He said NATO’s eastern flank remains the alliance’s primary security concern and continued support for Ukraine is critical to European security.<\/p>\n

Kristinn Arni Lar Hrobjartsson, co-founder of the Icelandic security think tank Varda, said Reykjavik is also seeing heightened Russian interest in the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cIceland certainly feels the increased focus on the Arctic, driven by Russian activities and continued war of aggression,\u201d he told RFE\/RL, pointing to the presence of a Russian spy ship around Iceland during the summer.<\/p>\n

Hrobjartsson also cautioned against overstating China’s role in Iceland, saying Chinese activities are \u201clargely exaggerated\u201d compared with the more immediate military dangers facing NATO on its eastern flank.<\/p>\n

Iceland’s importance is likely to grow as the US strengthens its position in Greenland and the wider Arctic.<\/p>\n

Rubio welcomed a recent agreement involving the US, Greenland, and Denmark on Greenland’s defense, saying it was important for regional security.<\/p>\n

Hrobjartsson said Iceland’s strategic location and support for allied forces make it an important part of the emerging Arctic defense network.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new Greenland agreement and potential build out of more bases there will undoubtedly call for even more contribution from Iceland,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rubio also sought to broaden the relationship beyond defense, highlighting opportunities in geothermal energy, biotechnology, marine industries and other areas.<\/p>\n

But he stressed that security remains the foundation for economic cooperation. \u201cSecurity underpins everything else,\u201d Rubio said. \u201cIf you’re not secure, you can’t be prosperous.\u201d<\/p>\n

He suggested that while a traditional US-Iceland free-trade agreement may be difficult in the current environment, the two countries could pursue closer bilateral trade and investment ties.<\/p>\n

For Iceland, the challenge will be balancing its growing strategic importance with the need to maintain a strong and predictable transatlantic alliance.<\/p>\n

Erlingsson said Rubio’s visit could help repair some of the damage caused by recent tensions over Greenland, but warned that wider questions about US commitments to NATO remain.<\/p>\n

For Washington, Iceland’s strategic value is tied to its location between North America, Europe and the Arctic, as NATO increases its focus on the High North and the North Atlantic.<\/p>\n

Rubio said the goal was not to provoke conflict but to strengthen deterrence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to continue to build upon that as a way to prevent conflict, not as a way to encourage conflict or provoke conflict, but prevent it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHistory teaches us that deterrence is the best prevention of violence and the best preventer of war.\u201d<\/p>\n

By RFE\/RL\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u0414\u0440\u0443\u0433\u0438\u0435 \u043b\u0443\u0447\u0448\u0438\u0435 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u0442\u044c\u0438 \u0441 \u0441\u0430\u0439\u0442\u0430 Oilprice.com<\/strong><\/p>\n