Under the radar, America’s Arctic diplomacy is gaining traction: Commentary

It would be easy to feel discouraged about America’s standing in the diplomatic world. Statements from Washington about Greenland and two Arctic partners, Canada and Denmark, have been anything but diplomatic.

But the good news for those who follow Arctic developments is how very present the U.S. has been – once we move away from 24-hour news cycles and Washington datelines. In fact, 2025 has been a banner year for what is sometimes known as Track 1.5 and Track 2 diplomacy, offering strong evidence of American engagement both as a convener and an active participant.

According to the U.S. Institute for Peace, Track 1 diplomacy consists of traditional government-to-government meetings. Track 2 is just the opposite– unofficial representatives from both sides with no governmental participation. A large part of U.S. Arctic diplomacy has been in the form of Track 1.5: Dialogues that include a mix of government officials acting in an unofficial capacity and non-governmental experts.

Track 1.5 is a good alternative that expands the limits of traditional diplomacy. Even at public meetings, there are often quiet sidebars where officials can discuss sensitive issues in an unofficial capacity. They can go beyond their talking points and explore new ideas without fear they will become public. Without pressure to perform, they can engage in active listening and get a clearer understanding of other points of view.

The meetings that occur on the margins of big Track 1.5 events – in corridors, coffee shops, or even on long walks – offer a private environment for individuals to build trust, hold off-the-record conversations, and establish new contacts.

The proliferation of Track 1.5 events around Arctic issues could signal several things. It might be a determination by America’s Arctic hands to keep the flame burning; an eagerness or impatience on the part of “unofficial” Americans to push aside Washington and forge their own partnerships; or perhaps it is an indication that the Arctic world has simply grown too large and interdisciplinary to be managed at the federal level only.

The list is long and, for those who believe in diplomacy, reassuring. In August 2025, Anchorage hosted its Arctic Encounter, an annual event that keeps growing. This year it brought together 27 countries and 200 participants including government officials, Indigenous leaders, researchers, industry pioneers, and cultural advocates. They met to confer on climate resilience, economic innovation, security, energy, and resource development. The symposium will be followed by Iceland’s annual Arctic Circle Assembly in mid-October.

Fortunately, the organizers still want to get an American perspective. The agenda includes two U.S. senators and a host of top researchers from U.S. educational institutions sharing their Arctic expertise. The State of Maine will again be a strong presence with a 30-member delegation, some of whom will participate in the Arctic Circle Business Forum to share trends on Arctic entrepreneurship.

Maine and Alaska aren’t the only states that are forging Arctic connections. California signed a trade MOU with Denmark in late August. The state which boasts the world’s fourth-largest economy has also sewn up MOUs with Sweden and Norway.

State-brokered MOUs aren’t new. In the aftermath of Brexit, seven states – ranging from Florida to Washington– signed their own deals with the U.K. Of course, states don’t make federal trade policy and Gov. Newsom is as helpless against current tariff policies as his 49 colleagues. But rather than accept them, many states avidly court overseas business by pitching their attributes in order to form joint ventures and technology partnerships.

Even militaries find that diplomacy is imperative. The U.S. National Guard has long seen value in fostering the State Partnerships program, which numbers 115 valued overseas partner nations. Finland is paired with Virginia, Sweden with New York, and Norway with Minnesota. The National Guard carries a big load in the Arctic – literally. The New York Air National Guard once again provided months of summer airlift for scientists at Greenland’s Summit Station.

These examples are only part of long-established soft power practices with pertinence to the Arctic ranging from science diplomacy to educational exchange and cultural diplomacy. But more can be done.

In light of federal funding reductions in climate science, states must ensure that their universities continue to research the Arctic’s changing climate and its impact on humans. The Arctic is wide open. State officials, mayors, municipal officials, business leaders and ordinary citizens can help keep America connected to this region.

Luckily for the United States, our presence still matters. We should redouble our outreach, build good will and learn from our colleagues. Diplomacy happens whenever communities of like-minded people get together and share experiences.

Darryl W. Lyon is an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. student at the University of Maine and will be a member of Maine’s Arctic Circle Assembly delegation. Mary Thompson-Jones is the author of “America in the Arctic: Foreign Policy and Competition in the Melting North” (2025) Norton. The views presented here are their own.