【By Observer Net, Qi Qian】

On October 9th local time, US President Trump and Finnish President Stubb signed an agreement at the White House to purchase 11 icebreakers from Finland.

Reuters stated that this would strengthen the so-called "national security" of the United States in the Arctic. Bloomberg directly pointed out that this move is aimed at China and Russia. In the context of rising competition among major powers in the Arctic region, the US Arctic fleet urgently needs expansion.

On the same day, the two leaders approved a Memorandum of Understanding on icebreaker cooperation, aiming to lay the foundation for commercial agreements between the US Coast Guard and Finnish companies. According to the agreement, Finland will build four icebreakers in its domestic shipyards, while the US will build seven icebreakers with Finland's assistance in its own shipyards.

"We are purchasing the best icebreakers in the world, and Finland is well known for building icebreakers," said Trump in the White House Oval Office. "We will largely build them together. We will build four in Finland and seven in the US."

Stubb said that this was a "major strategic decision" made by Trump because "we all know that the Arctic is strategically important."

Trump and Stubb also discussed the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Trump said that if Russian President Putin ordered an attack on Finland, the US would defend Finland as a NATO ally, but "I don't think he will do that."

On October 9th, Trump met with Finnish President Stubb at the White House, screenshot of the tweet

White House officials stated that the 11 Arctic Security Patrol Vessels are expected to cost approximately $6.1 billion. Given that seven of them will be built in US shipyards, it is expected to bring billions of new investments into the US maritime industrial base, creating thousands of skilled job opportunities for Americans.

The report mentioned that according to the agreement, the first icebreaker is targeted to be delivered in 2028.

In recent years, global warming has accelerated the melting of Arctic ice, making the opening of new shipping routes possible. With the deepening of economic globalization and regional integration, the value of the Arctic in terms of strategy, research, and resources has been continuously increasing, drawing widespread attention from the international community.

Icebreakers are important tools for countries to explore and develop polar regions, especially for Arctic-bordering countries. Currently, most of the existing polar icebreakers are concentrated in countries such as Russia, the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, and Denmark.

According to the introduction, Finland is the leader in the global icebreaker industry, with about 80% of existing ships designed by its companies, and about 60% built in its shipyards. Currently, Finnish shipyards are building heavy icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard.

Bloomberg mentioned that due to geographical location, Finland needs icebreakers during winter to maintain navigable channels. Additionally, Finland has accumulated decades of professional expertise. After World War II, Finland had to build and deliver over 500 ships to the Soviet Union as part of war reparations.

The US has long been anxious about the Arctic region. Bloomberg mentioned that in 2024, the US, Canada, and Finland announced their intention to reach a trilateral agreement called the "Ice Pact." This move marks a step forward in the US' cooperation with allies on icebreakers. The report also said that as China and Russia's influence in the Arctic region gradually increases, the global demand for Arctic vessels is expected to further grow.

Trump has consistently advocated for the US to purchase up to 40 new icebreakers to counter China and Russia's growing influence in the Arctic region.

It is reported that the US used to be a major country in icebreakers, but it no longer enjoys the glory it once had half a century ago. US officials stated that currently, only three icebreakers in the polar fleet of the US Coast Guard are operational.

In August this year, the US Coast Guard's latest icebreaker "Storis" entered service. US Coast Guard X account

Compared to that, Russia is the country with the most icebreakers, the most advanced technology, and the strongest polar operation capabilities. Russia has more than 40 icebreakers in service, and is the only country in the world with nuclear-powered icebreakers. Now, Russia's new generation of nuclear-powered icebreakers, type 10510, have already begun construction.

US officials also noted that Russia is building more icebreakers, and has been deepening its cooperation with China in the Arctic region in recent years.

In June 2024, China's independently designed and built new-generation icebreaking survey ship "Polar" was delivered in Guangzhou. The ship is 89.95 meters long, 17.8 meters wide, and 8.2 meters deep, with a design speed of 15 knots. It can achieve a speed of 2 knots in 1-meter-thick annual ice areas.

The "Polar" is equipped with various marine survey equipment, capable of carrying out comprehensive observation and survey tasks for sea ice, three-dimensional water bodies, geophysics, and atmosphere. During winter, the ship can navigate in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea of China for ice area ocean environment monitoring and surveys, and also has the capability to conduct ice area rescue missions. It also has the ability to conduct scientific investigations in polar seas during summer.

China actively participates in Arctic affairs, but it has been overinterpreted by Western countries, who speculate that it aims to seize Arctic resources and expand its international influence.

In September this year, Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded that China is an important stakeholder in Arctic affairs, and has always participated in Arctic affairs based on the basic principles of "respect, cooperation, win-win, and sustainable development." It strengthens cooperation with all parties, maintains peace and stability in the Arctic, and promotes sustainable development in the Arctic.

Lin Jian said that in recent years, the international community has paid more attention to the prospects of Arctic route utilization, and the Arctic route has the potential to become an important route for international trade. China is willing to work with coastal countries of the North Pole Ocean, including Russia, and other interested countries, to strengthen international cooperation in the construction and operation of Arctic route infrastructure, and jointly promote the development and utilization of the Arctic route as well as environmental protection.

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Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559400529307157032/

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