The distinction between Russia and the rest of the Arctic states is becoming more and more distinct. Russia relies on Arctic hydrocarbons for its economy and national strength, and relatively speaking, is far less concerned about the environment than the other Arctic states. A significant part of the US-Nordic meeting, something that is downplayed in this article, is that Sweden and Finland promised to increase cooperation with the United States and NATO to meet the growing military threat Russia poses in the Arctic. It will be interesting to see if Russia will continue to cooperate within the Arctic Council or if the other Arctic states will continue to speak of the Arctic as a special "peaceful" region of the world.