Publications
Military and Strategic Affairs, Volume 6, No. 1, March 2014
As the only non-NATO littoral state in the Arctic, Russia’s policies have great relevance for the region’s security environment. A series of military deployments and announced upgrades to infrastructure and weapon systems since 2007 have led to speculations that Moscow seeks to remilitarize its Arctic sector in anticipation of a warmer climate in the region. Using strategy documents and policy pronouncements since 2008 as instruments of analysis, this paper considers Moscow’s security intentions
in a climatically changing Arctic. The findings reveal that Russia is not on course to reconstitute its prior military strength in the Arctic and is generally disinclined to initiate an arms race. Instead of supporting a “Great Game” confrontation, Russia’s military footprint in the Arctic is increasingly linked with the Kremlin’s controversial jurisdictional assertions.
The opinions expressed in INSS publications are the authors’ alone.
Publication Series
Military and Strategic Affairs