With the rising temperatures in the Arctic region leading to an extended warm season, the navigation season in the Northwest Passage has also been prolonged. As a result, China and Russia have taken the lead in the Arctic region with their icebreakers, sparking concerns from the United States and turning the Arctic into the latest battleground for geopolitical competition.
The Northwest Passage extends from northern Canada to the Arctic Ocean and the North Atlantic, helping ships save approximately 4,500 nautical miles in travel time. It significantly shortens the voyage for ships traveling from the Far East to Europe, as well as from Russia to Europe, saving considerable time and fuel costs.
According to CNBC, in 2025, more than 1,800 vessels passed through the Northwest Passage, marking a 40% increase compared to 2013. Last year, China completed 14 Arctic voyages, with one of them being a container ship from China COSCO Shipping, becoming the first container ship to transit the Arctic waters.
Russia possesses 45 icebreakers in the polar region, including 8 nuclear-powered icebreakers. China has 3 icebreakers, with reports of a nuclear-powered polar icebreaker currently under construction. The United States currently has 3 icebreakers, but one of them has been in service for 50 years.
President Trump is ramping up efforts to advance U.S. shipbuilding projects, including the development of icebreakers for Arctic operations. U.S. maritime officials emphasize that the increased Arctic activities are crucial for national security, as the U.S. is also an Arctic nation. The NATO European Commander has also highlighted the growing influence of China and Russia in the Arctic as a threat.
Michael Chertoff, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and co-founder of The Chertoff Group, together with Aaron Roth, the Chief Advisor and Federal Strategic and Security Manager of The Chertoff Group, expressed to CNBC that the Coast Guard’s construction of Arctic security patrol vessels will provide the United States with sovereignty, navigational freedom, and capability in the Arctic region that it currently lacks. The U.S. aims to prevent China and Russia from gaining a strategic advantage in the far north.
Due to these concerns, in early 2026, President Trump expressed interest in acquiring Greenland for national security considerations. Currently, the two Arctic routes passed by ships both go near Greenland. The Northwest Passage connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, passing through the Canadian Arctic to the Baffin Sea, bringing ships close to Greenland before entering the North Atlantic and ultimately reaching the UK. The Northeast Passage along the northern coast of Russia connects Europe and Asia, with ships also traveling near Greenland along this route.
Roth believes that maintaining strong relations with Canada, Greenland, Denmark, and the Nordic countries aligns with U.S. national interests. This is crucial for better safeguarding U.S. interests in the Arctic.
In April 2023, China and Russia signed a memorandum on Arctic cooperation to open a trade route. Last October, China and Russia signed the “Polar Silk Road” Arctic passage cooperation agreement. Meanwhile, Canada’s recent trade agreement with China has also raised concerns for the United States.
Roth pointed out that the shortest distance between Russia and the U.S. is through these Arctic passages, passing directly through Greenland. In the future, if the U.S. were to face conflicts with China, Russia, or even North Korea, these countries’ shortest route to the U.S. would be through the great-circle route via Greenland. Therefore, from a strategic perspective, surveillance and missile interception capabilities in the Arctic region are crucial to fundamentally protect the U.S. The “Golden Dome” project vigorously promoted by President Trump also serves this purpose.
In 2025, President Trump announced a construction plan for commercial vessels and icebreakers, with a proposed allocation of around $30 billion for building 11 Arctic security patrol ships. Additionally, he issued the Executive Order on the “Maritime Action Plan” to further strengthen the revitalization of the U.S. maritime industry, enhance capacity, and counter China’s ambitions. The U.S. Coast Guard recently announced the procurement of 11 medium icebreakers.
The four companies involved in constructing icebreakers are: Davie Defense, a Canadian company that completed the acquisition of shipbuilding assets from Gulf Cooper in December, forming the new Davie Defense Gulf Copper company; Bollinger Shipyards from the United States; Rauma Marine Constructions from Finland; and Aker Arctic Technologies.