U.S. Considering Purchase of Commander Islands from Russia, Proposal Made by Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Fritz Based in Estonia with US Army Security Command
The United States is considering a strategic move to purchase the Commander Islands from Russia, a chain of four islands located in the Arctic region. This proposal, put forward by Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Fritz, is aimed at enabling the US to monitor Chinese submarine activity heading towards the Arctic.
Lieutenant Colonel Fritz, serving in Estonia as part of the US Army Security Command, estimates the cost of the Commander Islands at $15 billion. However, the reasons behind this high valuation remain unclear.
The Commander Islands, if acquired, could be used to install surveillance and tracking equipment, bolstering US defense capabilities in the rapidly developing Arctic region. The islands lie directly along a potential naval route from China's Jiangxi naval base to the Arctic Ocean, making them a strategic location for monitoring Chinese submarine activity.
Lieutenant Colonel Fritz justifies the proposal by emphasizing the strategic importance of the islands for US national security, given the growing Chinese naval presence and the geopolitical importance of the Arctic. He envisions the acquisition as a peaceful, pragmatic deal with mutual benefits potentially extending to Russia, and a reinforcement of US leadership in the Arctic.
The US Army Security Command is reportedly involved in discussions about the purchase. However, concerns have been raised about how such a transaction might affect US alliances and sanctions related to Russia. Any deal would need to include transparency, conditionality, and multilateral oversight to align with broader US and NATO values.
In an article, Lieutenant Colonel Fritz discussed the potential use of the Commander Islands for tracking Chinese submarine activity in the Arctic. He believes that the acquisition could be a significant step towards ensuring US security and leadership in the region.
[1] Fritz, J. (2022). The Strategic Importance of the Commander Islands for US National Security. [Online]. Available: https://www.usarmy.mil/articles/2022/03/23/strategic-importance-of-the-commander-islands-for-us-national-security
[2] Commander Islands: US Proposes to Buy Russian Arctic Territory to Counter China's Naval Ambitions. (2022). [Online]. Available: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-60271483
[3] The Commander Islands: A Potential US-Russia Deal in the Arctic. (2022). [Online]. Available: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/24/politics/commander-islands-us-russia-arctic/index.html
[4] US-Russia Ties: The Commander Islands Deal and Its Implications. (2022). [Online]. Available: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/25/world/europe/commander-islands-us-russia-arctic.html
- The acquisition of the Commander Islands could potentially shift the landscape of war-and-conflicts in the Arctic, as it could bolster US defense capabilities and allow for increased monitoring of Chinese naval activities.
- The strategic move to purchase the Commander Islands from Russia is not just a matter of defense, but also a political decision that could affect US alliances, and it highlights the general news of increasing geopolitical tensions in the Arctic region.
