Lost in the hubbub of Joe BIden’s ‘reset’ speech was a relatively active past couple of days concerning Russian, American, and European geopolitics in the Arctic. At the end of January, NATO officials met in Iceland, where they discussed the imminent threats posed by the race to exploit the region’s suddenly available resources.

“I would be the last one to expect military conflict — but there will be a military presence,” said NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. “It should be a military presence that is not overdone, and there is a need for political cooperation and economic cooperation.”

As Russia tests NATO’s post-Bush viability, the arctic is sure to be a sticking point.