Summary by Geopolist | Istanbul Center for Geopolitics
The Arctic has been made into a hotbed of great-power rivalry by a complex interplay between environmental, economic, and military causes. Shrinking ice reveals new shipping lanes, especially the very important Northern Sea Route in international trade, connecting Europe and Asia with reduced distance and times of transit. Such advances have ratcheted up competition for hegemony over such waterways and vast supplies of unexploited resources of oil and gas.
However, it has been markedly more aggressive in the Arctic, building up military capabilities and infrastructure in a strategic foothold. It has reopened former Soviet-era military installations and deployed modern weaponry in the region. The growing partnership between Russia and China further complicates matters in the Arctic, trying to invest in it and scientifically research it in an attempt to present itself as a “near-Arctic state.” The Sino-Russian alliance then upends the Arctic governance system that had been defined and respected by the original Arctic countries of the world United States, Canada, and the Nordic states.
NATO manifested heightened strategic curiosity in the region. Norway, being at the Arctic Circle’s top, has become the forerunner in NATO’s Arctic strategy by conducting military maneuvers and increasing surveillance in the area. The US revealed its concern over its Arctic military structure which is less compared to Russia’s counterpart. The current interest includes increasing icebreaker fleets and reinforcing the US presence in the region.
The next stage of competition within the Arctic calls for a delicate balance between environmental elements, indigenous rights, and international law. The Arctic Council, once a forum for Arctic cooperation, is becoming more and more rife with disputes as military and economic interests take precedence over scientific and environmental collaborations.
