Trump Seeks Finland to Build Icebreakers, Eyes China and Russia

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

Reuters reported that this will strengthen the so-called "national security" of the United States in the Arctic. Bloomberg directly stated that this move targets China and Russia. With the ongoing escalation of great power competition in the Arctic region, the U.S. Arctic fleet urgently needs expansion.

On the same day, the two leaders approved a memorandum of understanding on icebreaker cooperation, aimed at laying the foundation for commercial agreements between the U.S. Coast Guard and Finnish companies. According to the agreement, four icebreakers will be built in Finland's domestic shipyards, while seven icebreakers will be built in the United States with Finland's assistance.

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

Stubb called it a "major strategic decision" made by Trump, as "we all know the Arctic is strategically important."

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

White House officials said that the 11 Arctic security patrol ships are expected to cost about $6.1 billion. Given that seven of them will be built in U.S. shipyards, it is expected to bring billions of new investments to the U.S. maritime industry and create thousands of skilled job opportunities for Americans.

The report said that according to the agreement, the first icebreaker is expected 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. In the context of deepening economic globalization and regional integration, the value of the Arctic in terms of strategy, scientific research, and resources has been continuously increasing, drawing widespread attention from the international community.

Icebreakers are important tools for countries to explore and develop the polar regions, especially for Arctic nations. Currently, the existing polar icebreakers are mainly 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 vessels 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 the winter to keep the navigation channels open. In addition, Finland has accumulated decades of professional experience. After World War II, Finland had to build and deliver over 500 ships to the Soviet Union as part of war reparations.

The United States has long been anxious about the Arctic region. Bloomberg mentioned that in 2024, the United States, Canada, and Finland announced their intention to reach a trilateral agreement on the "Icebreaker Cooperation Program" (ICE Pact). This move marks the next step in the U.S. alliance in icebreaker cooperation. The report also said that as China and Russia gradually increase their influence in the Arctic region, the global demand for Arctic vessels is expected to further grow.

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

It is reported that the United States was once a major country in icebreakers, but it no longer holds the glory it had half a century ago. U.S. officials said that currently, only three icebreakers are operating in the U.S. Coast Guard's polar fleet.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1845560700937547/

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