WASHINGTON - The United States is establishing a new ambassadorial position for the Arctic as NATO has stressed the strategic challenges Russia's increased activity in the increasingly competitive region poses for the military alliance.

"The ambassador-at-large for the Arctic region will advance U.S. policy in the Arctic, engage with counterparts in Arctic and non-Arctic nations, as well as indigenous groups," the U.S. State Department said in an August 26 statement.

The United States is one of the eight littoral states of the Arctic and is a member of the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum that promotes cooperation in region.

Competition over the Arctic's natural resources has increased in recent years, with Russia investing heavily in military security, mining efforts, and expanded trade routes.

Moscow has also attempted to expand its zone in the Arctic region, based on its claims that a ridge beneath the Arctic Ocean is an extension of its territory.

During a visit to the Canadian Arctic on August 26, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg lauded Canada's recently announced investments in new defense systems in the region.

"The importance of the High North is increasing for NATO and for Canada because we see a significant Russian military buildup," Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg noted that Moscow had reopened hundreds of Soviet-era military facilities in the Arctic and warned that Russia and China were partnering to challenge NATO's values and interests in the region.

Following Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February, Canada announced in June that it plans to invest $3.8 billion to upgrade NORAD, a joint U.S.-Canadian defense organization for North America, over the next six years.

Climate change is also a great source of concern in the Arctic region, which is home to numerous indigenous peoples whose livelihoods have been greatly affected by environmental changes.