The United States is planning to appoint an ambassador for the Arctic amid increased Russian military activity in the region.
The ambassador general will be deployed to advance US policy in the Arctic region, a State Department spokesman said.
On Friday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned of the threat posed by Russia in the northern polar regions.
He also expressed concern about China’s Arctic expansion.
The new US ambassador will engage with the other seven Arctic countries – Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Russia – as well as indigenous groups and other stakeholders said State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.
Peace and stability in the region are of “critical strategic importance” to the US and a priority for Secretary of State Antony Blinken, he added.
Blinken will soon appoint the ambassador, whose appointment is subject to Senate approval.
The announcement comes as Russia increases its presence near the North Pole, while China has built research stations in the Arctic.