A framework for US-Japan cooperation in the Arctic

  • Fri, May 29, 2026 • 8:00 am ET
  • virtual event

Experts from the United States and Japan discuss the intensifying competition in the Arctic and areas of cooperation that Washington and Tokyo can leverage to engage with the region.

On Friday, May 29, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. ET, the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative (IPSI) of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security will host a discussion on a framework for US-Japan cooperation in the Arctic.

As climate change accelerates the opening of Arctic sea routes and unlocks access to vast natural resources, the region has emerged as a new frontier of strategic competition. While Russia maintains a dominant military presence and China has declared itself a “near-Arctic state” with growing ambitions in the region, the United States and Japan share a common interest in upholding a rules-based order and ensuring freedom of navigation in Arctic waters. This presents a timely opportunity to develop a coherent bilateral framework for cooperation across security, economic, and environmental dimensions.

During this virtual event, experts from the United States and Japan will examine the evolving Arctic security landscape and explore concrete pathways for deepened bilateral engagement.

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Welcome remarks

Tressa Guenov
Senior Director and Senior Fellow, Programs and Operations, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council

Speakers

Ryan Burke
Professor, Military & Strategic Studies, United States Air Force Academy;
Affiliate Professor, Center for Arctic Security and Resilience,
University of Alaska – Fairbanks

Takahiro Ishihara
Captain (ret.), Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force

Connor McPartland
Associate Director, Transatlantic Security Initiative,
Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council

Moderated by

Kyoko Imai
Associate Director and Resident Fellow, Indo-Pacific Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council

More speakers to be announced.

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The Indo-Pacific Security Initiative (IPSI) informs and shapes the strategies, plans, and policies of the United States and its allies and partners to address the most important rising security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, including China’s growing threat to the international order and North Korea’s destabilizing nuclear weapons advancements. IPSI produces innovative analysis, conducts tabletop exercises, hosts public and private convenings, and engages with US, allied, and partner governments, militaries, media, other key private and public-sector stakeholders, and publics.

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