The acquisition of the islands, according to the author, would create a holistic "hydro -location shield" in combination with the already available American Aleutian Islands. This barrier could be key to monitoring the routes of Chinese submarines passing through the Bering Strait in the Arctic. Fritz proposes to structure an agreement worth $ 15 billion, of which 6. 5 billion will be exclusive economic zone, 4 billion - to natural resources, 2.
5 billion - for biodiversity and another 2 billion - for infrastructure. It is noted that the exclusive economic zone of the potential purchase is equal to the size of California and will allow the US to expand its sea zone by 3. 8%. According to Fritz, the commanding islands have a number of strategic advantages.
They are located near the marine routes between Asia and North America, they remain low -populated (approximately 676 people) and have a moderate ice cover, which facilitates the placement of underwater monitoring equipment. In addition, the remote location makes these islands less valuable to Russia in military plan. The acquisition of the archipelago would allow the United States to deploy modern tracking systems on the islands, including hydraulic lockers, satellite and acoustic sensors.
This step corresponds to the provisions of the American Arctic Water Water Safety Strategy set out in the US Presidential Decree of April 2025. Particular attention is paid to the ideas of reunification of the Aleutian people. More than 15,000 Aleutians now live in the United States, while about 350 remain on the Russian island of Bering.
According to Fritz, this Agreement would correspond to Article 36 of the UN Declaration on the Rights of indigenous peoples, which guarantees the right to maintain ties between communities divided by borders. However, the author recognizes the complexity of the initiative. It can be concerned about US allies, especially in view of the war in Ukraine. The transfer of a large amount can be seen as a weakening of sanction policy.
Alternatively, the agreement can be structured with a transparent cost mechanism - for example, with gradual payments attached to humanitarian or environmental purposes. It is also possible that Russia will refuse to sell the territory, given its symbolic and strategic importance. At the same time, Fritz emphasizes, the islands have limited operational value and can become a lever for Moscow in balancing between the US and China in the region.
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