Russia’s Arctic Policies From History To Date: Changes and Continuities

• Main Authors: Oya DAĞLAR MACAR, Bumin Kağan OĞUZ
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Journal of Politic and Security 2021-04-01
• Series: International Journal of Politic and Security
• Subjects: arctic; cooperation; national interest
• Online Access: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/ijps/issue/56805/848080

In the recent times almost every week, stories about the Arctic, addressing the sea ice extent and thickness, melting glaciers, rapidly thawing permafrost, acidification of the ocean, the energy resources potential of the region, the opening of new shipping routes and probable geopolitical tensions, appear in the international media. And as the sea ice disappears, the littoral Arctic countries are inclined to secure more territory in the Far North, while non-Arctic states seek wider access to the region. Russia, as the owner of the longest coastline in the North, holds the center stage and its relationship with other states defines the parameters of the security environment in the Arctic. This study focusses on the history of Russian regional policies which usually oscillated within the pendulum of “international cooperation and national interest” and deals with the role of the multi-dimensionally warming Arctic in the international system and great power rivalry while determining the continued Russian goals in the region despite all the technological development and global and local political and economic changes in large scale through the history.