The expansion of the port in Nome, Alaska, is set to transform the region, accommodating larger cruise ships, cargo vessels, and military ships, and making it the nation's first deep-water Arctic port.

Concerns have been raised about the United States' potential loss in the Arctic race, with the melting of Arctic ice opening up trade routes and making natural resources more accessible.

The Northern Sea Route, a high-traffic area in the Arctic utilized by many countries, has long been claimed to be controlled by Russia.