ATMs with no cash. Resourcerich governments unable to pay soldiers’ salaries. Debilitating unemployment and inflation. A decade ago, most U.S. military leaders were unconcerned about solving these issues. Far outside the military’s core competencies, these were someone else’s problem. Today, experience has taught us the complex and potentially caustic nexus of the security and economic realms. We now ignore these matters at our own peril.

When Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made an official state visit to Washington last November, he encountered a markedly different political landscape. The past year has seen a notable shift in Indo-U.S. relations from the heady days when the Bush administration pursued a strategic partnership with India with the enthusiasm of an ardent suitor. Despite the praise and platitudes that President Barack Obama heaped on both India and Mr. Singh during the visit, it is clear that China occupies pride of place in America’s present Asia policy.

In recent years, the Arctic region has emerged as an issue in world affairs, and its strategic importance is growing swiftly. Both challenges and opportunities from rapidly changing climatic conditions in the region have contributed to give the Arctic a place high on the domestic and foreign policy agendas of many key countries and organizations.