The Arctic Institute's Reaction to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s speech in Rovaniemi ahead of the AC Ministerial Meeting

Contacts:
Malte Humpert, Washington, D.C.
malte.humpert@thearcticinstitute.org – +1 202 352 8162
Victoria Herrmann, Washington, D.C.
victoria.herrmann@thearcticinstitute.org – +1 201 247 9352

**** The Ministerial is a biennial meeting of Secretaries of State as part of the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum comprised of the eight Arctic states. This week’s meeting in Rovaniemi, Finland will see the Chairmanship of the Council pass from Finland to Iceland after two years. ****

Washington D.C., May 6, 2019 – In response to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s speech in Rovaniemi, Finland ahead of the Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting, The Arctic Institute’s President and Managing Director, Dr. Victoria Herrmann, stated: “Taking the stage in Rovaniemi, Finland Monday afternoon, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a stern warning to Russia and China: respect American interests in the Arctic, or face the consequences. There’s just one problem. America’s Arctic ambivalence is a far greater threat than the ambitions of Russia and China combined. With no strong fleet of icebreakers, no Arctic Ambassador, and no climate change policy, America is arguably the weakest circumpolar nation, and shows no signs of correcting course.”

She also noted, “At a time where the region is undergoing abrupt and dangerous climate changes, the U.S. cannot afford the climate denial and it has adopted during the Trump Administration. The impacts of climate change are already forcing the circumpolar region to undergo an unprecedented transition in human history according to the 2018 Arctic Report Card, costing billions of dollars in damages, inflicting irreplaceable cultural loss, and devastating the livelihoods of America’s northernmost citizens. The Trump Administration should be more concerned about the imminent threat it is posing to Americans through climate inaction than Chinese and Russian ambitions.”

Malte Humpert, The Arctic Institute’s Founder and a Senior Fellow, explained: “It is now clear that the Trump administration and Secretary of State Pompeo have decided that it’s time to ‘Make the Arctic Great Again‘. The administration has failed to acknowledge the ongoing and worsening challenges of Climate Change in the region and instead continues a sustained effort to re-frame Arctic issues as a security challenge aimed against Russia and China.”

He further elaborated: “This approach goes counter to the very ideals of the Arctic Council, which over its almost 25-year history, has been a model for intergovernmental cooperation. Due to the U.S.’ position and brash approach an Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting may end without a joint declaration for the first time.”