Bangladesh, June 14 -- The next NATO summit comes at a time when the alliance is grappling with multiple crises. Russia's war against Ukraine continues without a clear end in sight. Tensions in the Middle East, particularly involving the United States and Iran, threaten wider regional instability. Amid these pressing concerns, NATO has increasingly turned its attention to a region that, until recently, occupied only a marginal place in the alliance's strategic thinking: the Arctic.

For decades, the Arctic was perceived as a remote and relatively stable frontier. Harsh environmental conditions, sparse populations and limited accessibility encouraged policymakers to view the region as peripheral to Europe's primary security concerns. Toda...