U.S. puts Arctic on agenda

The directive will be distributed to federal agencies and lay the groundwork for a greater U.S. role in Arctic sovereignty issues, people familiar with the matter said to the Wall Street Journal. The directive is expected to call on federal agencies to better define the area of the Arctic and its seabed over which the U.S. could lay claim, the sources say to the newspaper. According to White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe, the directive is an attempt to update U.S. policy regarding the Arctic in light of climate changes, growing geopolitical interest in the region, and homeland-security concerns. The document has been in the works for more than a year. “The purpose of the Arctic policy is to recognize that the U.S. has important and strategic interests in the Arctic region,” Mr. Johndroe said, adding that “we need to be a player there along with all the other Arctic nations.”