Establish an Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs.

Summary

Creates a new Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs in the State Department, appointed by the President with Senate confirmation, charged with coordinating U.S. diplomacy, policy, and programs in the Arctic and leading efforts to counter malign influence from the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China. Requires an interagency report, led by State and coordinated with the intelligence and defense communities, on Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic within 180 days of enactment and annually thereafter for 10 years (unclassified with a classified annex).

• Creates a Senate-confirmed Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs within the State Department.
• Gives the Ambassador authority to coordinate U.S. Arctic diplomacy, programs, and a U.S. Arctic Region Security Policy led by BEA.
• Directs coordination with economic and scientific bureaus to align commerce, environmental monitoring, and research-security practices with security planning.
• Requires consultation, as appropriate, with Arctic Indigenous communities and equal application of investment screening and foreign influence laws.
• Mandates an interagency report on Russian and Chinese malign influence in the Arctic within 180 days and annually, unclassified with a classified annex.
• Report must assess sector control (critical minerals, energy, transport, fishing), exploitation of research partnerships, and tools/resources to counter influence.
• Reporting requirement sunsets after 10 years; the statute does not itself appropriate funding for the new position or activities.
• Focuses U.S. policy attention on countering Russia and China in Arctic political, economic, scientific, and multilateral arenas.