How has Polarity Affected the Arctic? The Shift From Unipolarity to Multipolarity

This paper examines the changing environment in the Arctic and how new arrivals are trying to get involved along with the long-standing powers in the region. Russia and China are becoming highly active in the region, and their interests are generally at odds and not trusted with Western states. Russia is no stranger to its experience in the North and portrays a state embracing nostalgia looking to go back to the glory days of the Soviet times and revert to a world superpower. Meanwhile, China has its scientific diplomacy agenda. The world has been chiefly unipolar since the end of the Cold War, though some would argue since World War II. The United States (US) has enjoyed the freedom to spread its western democracy and values worldwide, though not always very successfully. The world will soon become multipolar, or at least bipolar, and realism is likely to dominate the actions of the most powerful states. A likely strategy that Western states would use is to band together to resist the inevitable shift to a multipolar world. There will be a discussion about the geographical and historical significance of the Arctic. The idea of Western Arctic states gravitating toward the US is natural since China and Russia have opposite ideologies. It is important to note that any powers that can gain the upper hand in the Arctic will have a significant edge in the upcoming polarity shift.