Global and Regional Security Challenges in the Arctic

The geopolitics in the Arctic has been influenced by the current international relations’ developments and increasing tensions between Russia and the West. Additional drivers for geopolitical challenges are the availability and accessibility of energy resources (mainly oil and gas) and an opening of new transportation routes for destination and transit shipping. The geopolitics of the Arctic is also influenced by these security developments. There are two major types of security issues facing the Arctic: i) issues related to military security of individual Arctic states and ii) those relating to the common security of multiple regional states – including piracy, terrorism, and environmental disasters. The aim of the presentation is to provide an overview of geopolitical and security challenges which the Arctic faces in relation to climate change and current trends in international relations. The author will focus on how geopolitics transforms into policy and what are the key variables that influence the relations of cooperation/competition among states in the Arctic region. The presentation will also seek to answer the question: How global security threats challenge the Arctic security architecture?