A Framework for US-Japan Cooperation in the Arctic

Why It Matters

Stronger US–Japan cooperation is needed to deter great-power competition, secure emerging Arctic sea lanes and resources, and protect global trade and critical-mineral supply chains that underpin national security technologies. Without a coordinated allied approach, Russia and China could consolidate control over routes and resources, undermining the rules-based order in the High North.

Summary

Atlantic Council experts and US and Japanese specialists convened to outline a concrete framework for US–Japan cooperation in the Arctic as geopolitical competition and climate change rapidly deepen the region’s strategic salience. Panelists warned that Russia’s militarization and diversion of traffic to the Northern Sea Route, plus China’s expanding polar presence and control over critical mineral supply chains, are straining existing governance like the Arctic Council. Japan’s Arctic policy centers on research, international cooperation and sustainability but is treated as part of broader ocean policy, while the US has elevated Arctic defense priorities in its 2024 DoD strategy. The discussion urged closer, operationalized bilateral coordination to uphold freedom of navigation, protect supply chains, and fill the governance vacuum created by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Original Description

Experts from the United States and Japan discuss the intensifying competition in the Arctic and areas of cooperation that Washington and Tokyo can leverage to engage with the region.