Arctic trade routes and resource exploration could bring U.S. and Russia together: sources

U.S. and Russian officials have identified the Arctic as a possible area for economic cooperation, according to people familiar with the situation, part of the broader detente President Donald Trump is pursuing with Moscow.
Discussions have included natural resources exploration and trade routes, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the discussions are private and at an early stage. Cooperation over energy exploration is also seen as a goal by the U.S., one of the people said.
The topic emerged as Trump has aggressively pursued an end to the war in Ukraine, including direct talks with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Both sides have recently signalled that they’re open to business ventures and cooperation, alarming European and NATO allies, which have sought to isolate Moscow since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
U.S. and Russian officials plan to meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss restoring embassy staffing levels, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
One of the people said U.S. officials see Arctic cooperation as a way to drive a wedge between Moscow and Beijing, but cautioned that was unlikely to succeed given how much closer Russia and China have grown in recent years, particularly with their “no-limits” partnership since the war in Ukraine began.
A spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council declined to comment. A spokesman for the Kremlin didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Arctic, encircled by Russia and seven NATO members — the U.S., Canada and the Nordics Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden — has drawn increasing attention in recent years as melting ice from climate change opens up shipping lanes and the possibility to explore for potential energy and mineral resources.
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/us-russia-arctic-trade-routes
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Dr. Auric D. Hellman
adhellman1@gmail.com