scholarly journals Geopolitics, Indigenous Peoples, and the Polar Thaw: Sub- and Transnational Fault Lines of the Coming Arctic Cold War

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Zellen

This article examines the current geopolitical transformation of the Arctic region in response to the interplay of rising great power competition (GPC), the institutional empowerment of Arctic indigenous peoples in domestic and international governing bodies, and the continued polar thaw – issues traditionally discussed separately or in pairs, but not generally all together. It applies classical geopolitical theory to the warming Arctic, finding that the fundamental relationships of Heartland to Rimland, and the isolating buffer of what Mackinder called Lenaland, are in a state of flux, and the once-isolated island chains that dominate the physical geography of the circumpolar Arctic are gaining increasing salience to global security, and must not be overlooked. It examines the political geography of the Arctic and the fundamental importance of its indigenous human terrain, where a future Cold War will either be won or lost.

Author(s):  
O. V. Aleksandrov

This article is devoted to a problem of security of the Arctic region. The author portrays the contemporary state of the Arctic region, indicates changes which happened in the region after the end of "the cold war", analyzes the role which regional and non-regional institutions can play in the security protection of the Arctic, and also focuses attention on the Russian approach to a problem of security of the Arctic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 251-267
Author(s):  
Barry S. Zellen

Successful collaboration between the indigenous peoples and the sovereign states of Arctic North America has helped to stabilise the Arctic region, fostering meaningful indigenous participation in the governance of their homeland, the introduction of new institutions of self-governance at the municipal, tribal and territorial levels, and successful diplomatic collaborations at the international level through the Arctic Council. This stability and the reciprocal and increasingly balanced relationship between sovereign states and indigenous stakeholders has yielded a widely recognised spirit of international collaboration often referred to as Arctic exceptionalism. With competition in the Arctic between states on the rise, the multitude of co-management systems and the multi-level, inter-governmental and inter-organisational relationships they have nurtured across the region will help to neutralise new threats to ‘Arctic Exceptionalism’ posed by intensifying inter-state tensions.


2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 392-416
Author(s):  
Marko Filijovic

Climate changes have caused ice melting in the Arctic, thus creating new conditions in the region. Apart from making access to hydrocarbon deposits the Arctic region is rich in, new ways of transportation have appeared. In summer, the region is almost completely passable, thus making the routes between America and Asia much shorter. This has drawn attention not only of Arctic states, but also of some others, these especially including big exporters of consumer goods, as China and Japan are. The paper analyses the position of China with regard to other countries that are interested in exploitation of the Arctic region with focus on transport, in particular. Special attention is directed towards the strategic orientations of the Chinese management, this including the analysis of its approach, but also the positions of the international and especially the Chinese academic circles concerning the political and economic implications of joining of China to ?the Arctic race?.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-54
Author(s):  
Natalia Viakhireva

This article explores the state of Russia-Canada relations 2014-2020, and identifies areas where cooperation is possible. The bilateral relations are deeply affected by the overall crisis in Russia-West relations, and are at the lowest point since the end of the Cold war. The war of sanctions and accusatory rhetoric by officials from the both sides have come to the forefront. However a “niche cooperation” between Russia and Canada is possible in the areas where both sides can find common interests. Cooperation on non-political issues, using instruments of alternatives diplomacies: track-2 diplomacy, paradiplomacy, business diplomacy and parliamentary diplomacy, are all viable approaches, and provide the potential for a positive experience of interaction in the period of crisis. One of the most promising dimensions of Russia-Canada cooperation is interaction in the Arctic region in bilateral and multilateral frameworks.


Author(s):  
Рашад Курбанов ◽  
Rashad Kurbanov

It is not only the eight Arctic countries who have been recently showing their interest in the Arctic areas. Other countries in Europe, Asia, and America claim their presence in the Arctic, even those who are geographically located in a different hemisphere and could hardly be called circumpolar. For example, Germany, Japan, India, South Korea, China, Brazil and about 20 other countries have declared their determination to develop fields in the Arctic shelf areas. Moreover, China, India, Singapore and some other countries have already been developing strategies to use the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic. It is necessary to note that at the constitutional level all Arctic countries regulate issues related to the Arctic in different ways (both directly and indirectly). In particular, most of the constitutions contain provisions on the rights of indigenous peoples which are equally applicable to the Arctic region, as the number of indigenous peoples in the Arctic amounts to about 400 000 people. Besides, at the national level all Arctic countries have basic programs like “Arctic Documents” or a special “Arctic legislation” (except for Finland and Sweden). In this study we analyze the main basic program documents and legal regulations governing this sector in the Arctic countries, define optimal balance between the national and international legal regulation in determining the legal regime in the Arctic region.


Author(s):  
Elena Maslova ◽  
◽  

The article analyses the cross-border cooperation between the Northern Calotte states (Finland, Norway, Sweden) and the North-West of Russia within the framework of the Kolarctic program. Nowadays, in the context of the sanctions and counter-sanctions between Russia and the EU, cross-border cooperation is one of the few channels for dialogue between them. The paper analyses the EU Kolarctic program regarding the macro-political context of the EU policy and its environmental, Arctic and border dimensions in particular. The author reveals that the EU has neither Arctic territories nor sufficient tools for political influence in the Arctic region, however, its interest in the region is continuously growing. The EU regards its participation in the Arctic agenda primarily in the context of obtaining observer status in the Arctic Council. European Union expresses concern about climate change and environmental degradation, while seeking to increase imports of energy from the region. The author comes to the conclusion that in addition to the task of reducing the periphery of territories, the EU also pursues the political goals through the program. For instance, strengthening the political presence of the EU in the Arctic region as well as to strengthening its role as a global leader on environmental issues.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 110-113
Author(s):  
V. A. Tupchienko ◽  
H. G. Imanova

The article deals with the problem of the development of the domestic nuclear icebreaker fleet in the context of the implementation of nuclear logistics in the Arctic. The paper analyzes the key achievements of the Russian nuclear industry, highlights the key areas of development of the nuclear sector in the Far North, and identifies aspects of the development of mechanisms to ensure access to energy on the basis of floating nuclear power units. It is found that Russia is currently a leader in the implementation of the nuclear aspect of foreign policy and in providing energy to the Arctic region.


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