"I have called on the United States to increase its presence in the Arctic both physically and politically to demonstrate the continued leadership in the region…also to assure our northern neighbors that the United States places great importance on the region," Murkowski said at the Wilson Center — Arctic Circle Forum.
The Alaskan senator continued, "I think that we can do this in a non-threatening manner by using existing infrastructure and operations so that this zone of peace in the Arctic is not destabilized."
Murkowski stressed that the Arctic should be an area of cooperation between the United States and Russia despite tense relations between the two nations.
"When relationships are strained as they are today, I think it can be helpful to look to the Arctic as a path forward in area for collaboration and cooperation," she said.
Relations between the United States and Russia have been strained in the past several years, but Washington and Moscow still cooperate in a number of areas, including in space and the Arctic.
