Russia in search of its Arctic strategy: between hard and soft power?

Abstract

In contrast with the internationally wide-spread stereotype of Russia as a revisionist power in the High North, this paper argues that Moscow tries to pursue a double-faceted strategy in the region. On the one hand, such a strategy aims at defending Russia’s legitimate economic interests in the region. On the other hand, Moscow is open to cooperation with foreign partners that are willing to partake in exploiting the Arctic natural resources. The general conclusion is that in the foreseeable future Moscow’s strategy in the region will be predictable and pragmatic rather than aggressive or spontaneous.

Keywords:

• Russia
• the Arctic
• hard and soft power

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the Norwegian Research Council’s NORRUSS Arctic Urban Sustainability project and St. Petersburg State University, Grant No. 17.23.482.2011.

Notes

¹ Schepp and Traufetter, “Riches at the North Pole: Russia Unveils Aggressive Arctic Plans”; Smith and Giles, Russia and the Arctic.

² Borgerson, “The Great Game Moves North”; Huebert, The Newly Emerging Arctic Security Environment; Smith and Giles, Op. cit.

³ Alexandrov, “Labyrinths of the Arctic Policy”; Diev, Arkticheskaya Strategiya Rossii; Oreshenkov, “Arctic Diplomacy.”

⁴ Dugin, Metafizika I Geopolitika Prirodnykh Resursov; Indzhiev, Bitva za Arktiku.

⁵ Gorenburg, “Russia’s Arctic Security Strategy”, Konyshev and Sergunin, “The Arctic at the Crossroads of Geopolitical Interests”; Laruelle, Russia’s Arctic Strategies and the Future of the Far North; Lasserre, Le Roy and Garon, “Is there an arms race in the Arctic?”; Voronkov, Interesy Rossii v Arktike.

⁶ US Geological Survey 2008.

⁷ Dobretsov and Pokhilenko, “Mineral resources and development in the Russian Arctic.”

⁸ Ibid.

⁹ Kochemasov et al., Ekologo-ekonomicheskaya Otsenka Perspectivy Razvitiya Arktiki.

¹⁰ Ibid.; Schepp and Traufetter. Op.cit.

¹¹ Dushkova and Evseev, “Analiz Techogennogo Vozdeistviya na Geosistemy Evropeiskogo Severa Rossii”; Ekologicheskoe Sostoyanie Impactnykh Raionov.

¹² Kochemasov et al., Op. cit.

¹³ Ekologicheskoe Sostoyanie Impactnykh Raionov.

¹⁴ Kochemasov et al., Op. cit.

¹⁵ Zysk, “Russian Military Power and the Arctic,” 81.

¹⁶ Khramchikhin, “Stanet li Arktika teatrom voennykh deistviy po poslednemu peredelu mira?”

¹⁷ US Department of Defense, Arctic Strategy.

¹⁸ Blunden, “The New Problem of Arctic Stability,” 127.

¹⁹ Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

²⁰ Koptelov, Strategy for Denmark in the development of the Arctic.

²¹ Commission of European Communities, The European Union and the Arctic Region.