'We Have 1, Russia Has 48. That's Ridiculous': Trump On 11 New Icebreakers

US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the United States trails far behind Russia when it comes to icebreakers. Speaking at the White House, Trump remarked that the disparity between the two nations' fleets is "ridiculous".

"You know, we only have one in the whole country. Russia has 48, and we have one. That's just ridiculous," Trump said, highlighting the scale of the shortfall.

To rapidly strengthen America's presence in the Arctic, Trump announced that Washington has placed an order for 11 new icebreakers from Finland.

Trump Bemoans Russian Superiority In Icebreakers: 'Ridiculous'

"We only have one in the whole country. Russia has 48, and we have one. And that's just ridiculous," he said, revealing that 11 are now under construction. pic.twitter.com/11iuFoxkfq

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) November 28, 2025

In October, the US and Finland signed an agreement to co-produce the vessels, four in Finnish shipyards and seven in the United States, as Washington deepens its Arctic commitments.

"You're getting the best icebreakers in the world, the top of the line. And they're going to be delivered very soon," Trump added.

The $6.1-billion deal, finalised in October 2025, marks a major expansion of the US Coast Guard's fleet, which currently operates only two functional polar icebreakers, one launched in 1976 and another commercial vessel that was only recently brought into service.

According to a White House fact sheet issued on October 9, Trump signed the memorandum of understanding to address the "urgent national security needs in the Arctic region". The administration noted that the Coast Guard has determined it requires at least nine icebreakers to protect US interests year-round in the increasingly strategic Arctic waters.

The document also stressed that outsourcing production to Finland is a short-term measure meant to fill a critical capability gap, with the majority of the new ships ultimately intended to be constructed in the United States.