Lisa Murkowski

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski is considered the leader among her Congressional colleagues on Arctic issues. She has in recent years reached global fame due to her position in the US Senate. She is the U.S. Representative in the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region and co-chair of the Senate Arctic Caucus.

Senator Murkowski has been instrumental in promoting the importance of Arctic development in the U.S. She has emphasized that the U.S. "has to acknowledge [it's] role as an Arctic nation". 

Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson

H.E. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson will be moderating this event. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson served as President of Iceland for twenty years, 1996-2016; elected five times in nationwide elections. Previously, he was Minister of Finance, Member of Parliament, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and the first Professor of Political Science at the University of Iceland. He now serves as Chairman of the Arctic Circle.

Q&A

All questions directed to the Senator were posted by participants, either before or during the event.

Reading Material

U.S. Department of Defence Arctic Strategy

National Geographic: Trump's and Biden's environmental policy promises and actions

Defense One: Trump’s New Arctic Policy Has a Familiar Ring

The Guardian: Trump in final push to open up Alaska's Arctic refuge to oil and gas drilling

The Hill: How a President Biden could meet the challenges of the new Arctic