Who Owns the Top of the World?
The Arctic is melting. This is bad for many reasons, but one consequence is that suddenly everyone cares about the Arctic.
Russia is planting flags on the seabed. China is calling itself a "near-Arctic state" (it isn't). The United States has been neglecting its Arctic territories for decades. Canada talks a good game but underfunds northern defense.
Meanwhile, the people who actually live in the Arctic — including Yukoners and Alaskans — are watching superpowers argue about who owns their backyard.
The Current Situation: