Executive summary
- The Wider North requires a robust British strategy to counter dual threats: a revisionist Russia likely to challenge the regional order in the Baltic and Arctic in the event of a peace settlement in Ukraine, and the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) growing polar footprint.
- The United States’ (US) 2026 National Defence Strategy shifts the burden of containing Russia primarily to major European powers. It also seeks domination of the Western Hemisphere. Donald Trump, President of the US, has threatened to annex Greenland, while the conflict in Iran has added to Euro-Atlantic strains, with Washington articulating multiple criticisms of British defence priorities.
- His Majesty’s (HM) Government should mobilise and lead an enlarged ‘coalition of the willing’ in the Wider North, stretching from Canada to a confederation of northern European states, to reinforce the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in a period of great power rivalry and uncertainty over American intentions.
About the authors
Prof. Klaus Dodds is Professor of Geopolitics and Faculty Dean at Middlesex University London. Prof. Caroline Kennedy-Pipe is Professor of War Studies at Loughborough University. Both are Honorary Fellows at the Council on Geostrategy.
Disclaimer
This publication should not be considered in any way to constitute advice. It is for knowledge and educational purposes only. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Council on Geostrategy or the views of its Advisory Council.
Image credit: 2 PARA on Exercise Joint Viking, UK MOD © Crown copyright 2023
No. 2026/04 | ISBN: 978-1-917893-21-3