Policy

The European Union added Gazpromneft Shipping and Lukoil-Western Siberia to its sanctions list on 15 June, targeting 34 individuals and 47 entities linked to Russian crude oil shipping. The move freezes their assets in the EU and bars EU entities from providing funds or resources.

Senators are proposing a ban on foreign spy ships operating in the Arctic, citing increased Chinese and Russian surveillance activity near Alaska, including a U.S. Coast Guard C‑130J flight observed 290 NM north of Utqiagvik.

The NWT government is gauging public opinion via a survey before deciding whether to bid for the 2035 Canada Winter Games, with a feasibility study already outlining possible models, benefits, and challenges. The survey closes June 25, and a bid decision is slated for fall.

Bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Mike Lee and Jeanne Shaheen would ban Chinese and Russian research vessels from U.S. Arctic waters to curb espionage disguised as scientific surveys.

A U.S. oil company’s CEO flew to the remote Greenlandic town of Ittoqqortoormiit, where residents, who had little knowledge of the planned drilling, demanded community benefits. The company offered a modest fund and a handful of jobs, while regulators cited missing permits and oil‑spill plans.

Gloria Uluqsi was elected president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. on May 27 with 19.6% of the vote, pledging to focus on housing, elder care, food security and better communication with Inuit while her term runs to 2030.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami unveiled a comprehensive poverty‑reduction plan on June 9 targeting Inuit in Nunavut, the NWT, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut, setting goals to raise incomes, increase employment, reduce food insecurity, expand Indigenous business participation, and provide a guaranteed livable income for children and seniors.

Despite a recent surge in investor confidence under President Trump, Alaska’s ANWR lease auction in June 2025 yielded only nine bids—most from a state corporation—covering just 10 % of land, underscoring continued hesitation from major oil majors and raising questions about the region’s economic viability amid environmental concerns.

A federal judge in Boston invalidated the Trump-era $100,000 fee on H‑1B visas, a cost that had made it difficult for Alaska schools to hire international teachers, yet uncertainty remains as the administration may appeal and schools face budget and staffing delays.

Ottawa issued an order‑in‑council authorizing federal disaster assistance for Tuktoyaktuk after the August 2025 storm surge that washed out roads and flooded homes, enabling the community to access financial help, though the amount and timing remain unspecified.

The Hill opinion piece notes that on June 5 a lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge began offering public land in the coastal plain, raising concerns about impacts on the refuge.

A June 5 lease sale opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s Coastal Plain to oil and gas exploration, a move the author argues threatens the refuge’s wildlife, hunting and fishing opportunities, and could set a precedent for future development on public lands.

Canada plans to select a preferred submarine supplier within 30 days, potentially buying up to 12 new boats that can patrol the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic, reshaping its naval presence in a contested Arctic.

The EU's public consultation on Arctic policy is set to guide the European Commission and EEAS in revising the EU’s role in Arctic affairs, updating the 2016 framework.

Global interest in the Arctic is eroding Canada’s traditional sovereignty narrative, raising questions about future governance and resource control in the region.

Alaska House advances a multibillion‑dollar tax break for the proposed trans‑Alaska natural gas pipeline, sending the bill to the Senate for further consideration during a special session that ends June 19. The measure would replace the state’s 2% petroleum property tax with a gas shipment tax, potentially shifting about $800 million in revenue from local governments to the state while generating $600‑$700 million in new state revenue.

Alaska’s House approved a bill that slashes property taxes for state and local communities by about 85% to support the Alaska LNG megaproject, while preserving production taxes, royalties, and a new volumetric tax on gas volumes. The measure, which still needs Senate approval, could unlock billions in revenue and bring the project closer to construction.

Greenland’s recent approval of the Tanbreez rare‑earth project and the US’s new deep‑sea mining permitting framework highlight how Arctic and oceanic mineral frontiers are now caught in a policy and environmental cross‑fire, with legal disputes over Greenland’s Kvanefjeld and Norway’s paused seabed plans underscoring the growing complexity for investors.

The Qikiqtarjuaq deep‑sea port in Nunavut will not start full construction in 2026 as funding gaps persist, despite AEDC’s bid for fast‑tracked federal support. Phase‑1 cost $350 M, with only $50 M secured, leaving $300 M needed from the Arctic Infrastructure Fund. Indigenous‑led project remains stalled.

Oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic Refuge under the NPR‑A program produced poor results, according to a fact sheet released June 5 2026.

Construction of the Qikiqtarjuaq deep‑sea port in Nunavut will not begin in 2026, as Arctic Economic Development Corporation faces financing gaps that keep the project on hold until federal funding decisions are made.

The piece explains that the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement provides the legal framework for fishing in the Arctic Ocean, shaping how Arctic States regulate fisheries.

NTI has secured $6.8 million from the federal Youth Mental Health Fund to bolster Inuit youth programs and establish a Nunavut Youth Council, while distributing $18.7 million in housing funds that enable new transitional housing projects in Baker Lake, Gjoa Haven, Pangnirtung and Sanikiluaq.