Is the Arctic the World’s Next War Zone? With Kenneth R. Rosen

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Jan 30, 2026

Kenneth R. Rosen, journalist and author of Polar War who reports on geopolitics and conflict. He discusses how climate change is opening Arctic shipping lanes and resources. He explores rising military competition among Russia, China and the U.S. He describes covert “gray zone” tactics like undersea cable cuts and the local impacts on northern communities.

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INSIGHT

The Arctic Is Not One Place

The Arctic cannot be pinned to a single boundary or definition; different actors define it to fit their needs.
Kenneth Rosen avoided capitalizing 'Arctic' in his book to signal the region's fluid, contested nature.

INSIGHT

Warming Turns Cooperation Into Competition

Rapid warming turned the Arctic from a cooperative scientific zone into an arena for competition.
Nations see thawing ice as opportunity for shipping, resources, and strategic advantage rather than only an environmental crisis.

INSIGHT

Russia And China Already Lead In The North

Russia and China historically dominated Arctic activity, with Russia as the primary stakeholder.
Recent U.S. rhetoric raised American visibility but Washington still lags operationally in the High North.

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Why Is Everyone Suddenly Fighting Over the Arctic?

In this episode, Adam McCauley speaks to journalist and author Kenneth R. Rosen about the Arctic’s shifting geopolitical role in the new world order.

Nuclear submarines. Sabotaged pipelines. Undersea communications severed in the dark of night. The fastest-warming place on earth—where buildings crumble as permafrost melts and villages get washed away by rising seas—the Arctic stands at the crossroads of geopolitical ambition and environmental catastrophe. As climate change thaws the northern latitudes, opening once ice-bound shipping lanes and access to natural resources, the world’s military powers are rushing to stake their claims in this increasingly strategic region. We’ve entered a new cold war—and every day it grows hotter. From Russia to the United States, everyone is keen to assert their dominance on the region and come out on top.

Through his unique blend of travelogue and frontline reporting, Kenneth R. Rosen reveals how climate change, military ambition, and economic opportunity are transforming the Arctic into the epicenter of a new Cold War, where a struggle for dominance between the planet’s great powers heralds the next global conflict.

Kenneth R. Rosen: Kenneth R. Rosen travels the world to write in-depth stories about the impact of major geopolitical issues and conflict on individual lives. He was a 2025 Ira A. Lipman Fellow at Columbia University and wrote for the New York Times between 2014 and 2025.

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