Anton Kobyakov, Russia’s Presidential Adviser, stated on August 30 that former U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Greenland” initiative represented an effort to consolidate American influence across the Arctic region. According to Kobyakov in an interview with TASS, the plan—described as a cover operation targeting Iran—aimed to unite Arctic territories under U.S. control by securing strategic chokepoints including Canada’s Northwest Passage and European northern regions up to the Barents Sea.
The adviser noted that such a configuration would enable the United States to establish an alternative shipping route from the Pacific Ocean to the North Atlantic, directly competing with Russia’s Northern Sea Route (NSR). Kobyakov added that the project’s current suspension creates opportunities for Moscow to strengthen its competitive position in Arctic logistics.
Meanwhile, Russian officials highlighted growing international interest in the NSR. Alexei Chekunkov, head of the Ministry of Regional Development, told Izvestia correspondent Anton Zolotnitsky on August 19 that South Korea and India are actively considering navigation routes through the Northern Sea Route, citing improved predictability, route depth, and safety as key factors for expanded commercial use.
