The Arctic: the struggle for resources and influence in the region

Abstract

AbstractThis article defines the Arctic as a political arena and examines the interests and plans of several countries regarding its territory and resources, namely, Canada, Russia, the United States, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Finland. The article highlights the Arctic region’s advantages, emphasizing the priorities of each state to establish control over this territory. The Arctic region is beneficial for the development of economic activity and the protection of the territories of coastal countries, has a significant number of deposits of natural resources and other minerals, and significant transit opportunities. The Arctic region has become a subject of intense interest within the international community. There is a need to strike a balance between economic interests and environmental protection should guide diplomatic efforts to secure the sustainable development of the Arctic region for the benefit of all stakeholders. Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Lassi Heininen, “Overview of Arctic Policies and Strategies” Arktika I Sever no. 39 (2020): 195-202.2 Olav Schram Stokke, “Arctic Geopolitics, Climate Change, and Resilient Fisheries Management” Ocean Yearbook Online 36 no. 1 (2022): 440-474.3 Rebecca Pincus, “Three-way power dynamics in the Arctic. Strategic Studies Quarterly” 14 no. 1 (2020): 40-63.4 Sohvi Kangasluoma and Hanna Lempinen, “Making of the Arctic dream-affective resources in the strategies of Arctic coastal states” Globalizations 20 nо. 3 (2023): 400-414.5 Duncan Depledge, “NATO and the Arctic: the need for a new approach” The RUSI Journal 165 no. 5 (2021): 80-90.6 Zamira Sinaj, Miftar Ramosacaj and Elmira Kushta, “Performance management assessment in agriculture organisations (using factorial parameters case of Albania)” Scientific Horizons 26 no. 1 (2023): 102-110.7 Piotr Graczyk and Svein Vigeland Rottem, “The Arctic Council: Soft actions, hard effects?”, in Routledge Handbook of Arctic Security (pp. 221-233) (London: Routledge, 2020).8 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982, https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf. (accessed August 1, 2023).9 Ottawa Declaration, 1996, https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/handle/11374/85. (accessed August 1, 2023).10 Illulissat Declaration, 2008, https://arcticportal.org/images/stories/pdf/Ilulissat-declaration.pdf. (accessed April 15, 2023).11 Agreement on cooperation on aeronautical and maritime search and rescue in the Arctic, 2011, https://oaarchive.arctic-council.org/handle/11374/531. (accessed March 9, 2023).12 Geneva Conventions on the Law of the Sea, 1958, https://legal.un.org/avl/ha/gclos/gclos.html. (accessed March 9, 2023).13 Who lives in the Arctic. 2020. https://kultura.poltava.ua/xto-zhive-v-arktici/.(accessed March 9, 2023).14 Damian Carrington, “Rain to replace snow in the Arctic as climate heats, study finds”, 2021, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/30/rain-replace-snow-arctic-climate-heats-study(accessed May 28, 2023).15 How many people live in the entire Arctic region, 2020, https://uk.myubi.tv/8627-how-many-people-live-in-the-entire-arctic-region. (accessed March 9, 2023).16 Natalia Gavrilova, “The role of the Arctic in the context of international energy security” Actual Problems of Science and Exploration 19 (2017): 141-143.17 United Nations Convention.18 Vesa Väätänen and Kaj Zimmerbauer, “Territory-network interplay in the co-constitution of the Arctic and "to-be"Arctic states” Territory, Politics, Governance 8 no. 3 (2020): 372-389.19 United Nations Convention.20 Brandon M. Boylan, “Increased maritime traffic in the Arctic: Implications for governance of Arctic Sea routes” Marine Policy 131 (2021): 104566.21 Ottawa Declaration.22 Natalia Serova, Elena Korchak and Tatiana Skufina, “The Arctic: strategic priorities of circumpolar countries” Materials Science and Engineering 753 (2020): 072022.23 Illulissat Declaration.24 Alice Cecilia Curanovic, ““Cold war 2.0”: Simulation of possible conflict scenarios of the Western world and russia and their satellites after the hot stage of the russian-Ukrainian war” European Chronicle 7 no. 4 (2022): 44-45.25 Nick Ferris, “The Enduring Threat to the Arts from Big Oil”, 2022, https://www.offshore-technology.com/sectors/the-enduring-threat-to-the-arctic-from-big-oil/.(accessed March 9, 2023).26 Njord Wegge, “Arctic Security Strategies and the North Atlantic States” Arctic Review 11 (2020): 360-382.27 Anna Sharapova, Sara L. Seck, Sarah L. MacLeod and Olga Koubrak, “Indigenous Rights and Interests in a Changing Arctic Ocean: Canadian and Russian Experiences and Challenges” Arctic Review on Law and Politics 13 (2022): 286-311.28 Agreement on cooperation on aeronautical and maritime search and rescue in the Arctic.29 Vladislav Volkov, “Comparative analysis of the state policy of national identity in Estonia and Latvia: The view of Russian ethnic minorities” Advances in Sociology Research 40 (2023): 39-69.30 Svien Vigeland Rottem, The Arctic Council: Between environmental protection and geopolitics (Singapore: Palgrave Pivot, 2020).31 Anas Abudaqa, Mohd Faiz Hilmi, Norziani Dahalan, Hasan Almujaini, “Impact of supply chain integration and intelligent information systems in achieving supply chain innovation: A study of retail trading smes in abu dhabi, uae” Uncertain Supply Chain Management 8 no. 4 (2020): 721-728.32 Mangus de Witt, Hlynur Stefánsson, Agust Valfells and Joan Nymand Larsen, “Energy resources and electricity generation in Arctic areas” Renewable Energy 169 (2021): 144-156.33 Davis P. Auerswald, “Arctic narratives and geopolitical competition”, in Handbook on Geopolitics and Security in the Arctic (pp. 251-271) (Cham: Springer, 2020).34 Lassi Heininen, Karen Everett, Barbora Padrtova and Anni Reissell, Arctic policies and strategies – analysis, synthesis, and trends (Laxenburg: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, 2020).35 Geneva Conventions on the Law of the Sea.36 United Nations Convention.37 Ata Senior Yeboah, Sarah Carol and Atefeh Fathi, “Demographic Challenges for the Caucasian Race: What Can the Assimilation of Cultures on the European Continent Lead to?” European Chronicle 7 no. 4 (2022): 5-13.38 Taylor Fravel, Kathryn Lavelle and Liselotte Odgaard, “China engages the Arctic: a great power in a regime complex” Asian Security 18 no. 2 (2022): 138-158.39 Carin Holroyd, “East Asia (Japan, South Korea and China) and the Arctic”, in The Palgrave Handbook of Arctic Policy and Politics (pp. 319-332) (Cham: Springer, 2020).40 Jinsheng Zheng, “China-US Relations in the 1940s - Early 2020s: Establishment and Key Challenges” Foreign Affairs 33 no. 3 (2023): 8-16.41 Valery Tsybukh, “The role of natural resources in international relations in the 20th – early 21st century” Foreign Affairs 33 no. 2 (2023): 57-64.42 Rayan Naylor and Carter Hunt, “Tourism and livelihood sovereignty: a theoretical introduction and research agenda for arctic contexts” Societies 11 no. 3 (2021): 105.43 Ganiy M. Karasayev, Zhandos N. Zhaxygeldinov, Bekmurat R. Naimanbayev, Alima M. Auanasova and Gizatulla Kh. Khalidullin, “History of European Union - Kazakhstan Relations (1991-2001)” Cuadernos Europeos de Deusto no. 68 (2023): 183-197.44 Mihaiela Buse, “The arctic region, European Union and climate change, as a global threat to security” Bulletin of "Carol I" National Defence University 10 no. 2 (2021): 64-68.Additional informationNotes on contributorsViacheslav I. SharyiViacheslav I. Sharyi (via_sharyi@ukr.net) is a Full Doctor in Public Administration, Department of Civil Service, Public Administration and Political Science, Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy.