Glenn Diesen - Greater Eurasia Podcast Anatol Lieven: US-Russia-China Tensions in the Arctic
Sep 20, 2025
Anatol Lieven, Director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute and a former Georgetown professor, dives into the escalating geopolitical tensions in the Arctic. He highlights how climate change is transforming the region, creating new strategic challenges. The conversation touches on the collapse of Arctic exceptionalism, the militarization by NATO, and China's role in Arctic affairs. Lieven argues that while war is unlikely, the risks of climate-driven disasters pose a more immediate threat than geopolitical rivalries.
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Reprioritize Climate In Security Strategies
- Prioritize climate threats in national security strategies rather than marginalizing them to footnotes.
- Lieven implies governments must treat Arctic climate risks as central security concerns, not side issues.
Contradiction: Militarizing While Denying Climate
- Western security rhetoric often mixes Arctic militarization with denial or neglect of climate change.
- Lieven highlights this cognitive contradiction as dangerous and emblematic of current leadership failures.
China's Arctic Role Is Trade-Driven
- China claims an Arctic role due to global trade interests even though it is not geographically Arctic.
- Lieven compares this to U.S. influence far from home and argues large trading powers naturally seek Arctic involvement.
