Northern Canadians View U.S. as Top Arctic Threat

The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average, driving rapid sea-ice loss that reshapes ecosystems, imperils traditional hunting and damages coastal infrastructure. Scientists and Indigenous hunters report shorter, less reliable ice seasons that threaten livelihoods and culture. The Trump administration is shifting U.S. Arctic research priorities away from climate and environmental science toward military, economic and energy security, removing “climate change” language from planning documents and downplaying Indigenous research contributions. Officials have signaled the pivot with rhetoric about Greenland, plans for new icebreaker ships, and executive orders to fast-track Alaskan oil and gas development and secure Arctic waterways. An independent U.S. Arctic Research Commission report says the region is critical to homeland defense and is guiding a national Arctic research plan for 2027 aimed at national security, and polling shows many Northern Canadians now view the United States as a greater Arctic security threat than Russia or China, raising concerns about regional cooperation.