By Dr Helena Ivanov, and Graeme Downie MP

As the Arctic opens up, Western governments face a strategic inflection point.

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Experts increasingly agree that Arctic summers could be largely ice-free by 2040. This transformation will not only create new maritime transit routes but also unlock vast reserves of natural resources that have, until now, remained largely inaccessible beneath the ice. Among these are critical minerals essential for clean energy technologies, advanced manufacturing, and modern defence systems.

As events in Iran and the Middle East demonstrate, securing energy production and distribution, along with protecting supply chains of the equipment that enables this is going to become increasingly vital. This is particularly the case for European and other ‘middle powers’ nations cautious of being caught in a struggle between big beast energy giants such as the US, China and Russia.

However, as the latest reportby the Henry Jackson Society shows, the West finds itself in a difficult position. The demand for critical minerals is rising rapidly, yet stable and diversified supply chains remain elusive. China dominates the global market, controlling 60% of the market and 90% of processing of these minerals. More troubling is Beijing’s demonstrated willingness to use this dominance as geopolitical leverage, including through export restrictions on essential minerals.

The range of alternatives is narrowing. Domestic mining projects across Western countries face regulatory, environmental, and........

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