From Arctic exceptionalism to military-driven geopolitics: Cooperation and conflict after Russia's invasion of the Ukraine
Vol.15,No.S(2025)
CPR Special issue
Since February 2022, evolving political dynamics in the Arctic have increasingly challenged the academic credibility of the concept of Arctic exceptionalism. Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine has significantly reshaped the region’s geopolitical landscape, resulting in a marked decline in cooperation between Russia and the Western Arctic states. This erosion of collaboration has substantially hindered Russia’s ability to advance its economic, military, and diplomatic ambitions in the Arctic, although certain initiatives, particularly energy-related, have continued under the revised conditions. Western sanctions have delayed and obstructed critical Russian infrastructure projects in the region, revealing a pronounced dependence on foreign technology. In the security sphere, NATO’s enlargement through the inclusion of Finland and Sweden has shifted the regional balance of power. This empirical political development is fundamentally at odds with the trajectory that might be anticipated if international relations in the region adhered to the functional logic of Arctic exceptionalism. However, despite rising tensions, the prospect of military actions in the Arctic remains low, it is constrained by logistical limitations, economic interdependence, and the prevailing balance of power.
Arctic exceptionalism; geopolitical transformation; Russia
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