Desecuritizing the arctic: Maritime governance in the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage

Abstract

Arctic maritime routes such as the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and the Northwest Passage (NWP) are often framed as geopolitical flashpoints in news media, yet states directly involved have largely avoided direct securitization. This article examines how Russia and Canada frame these passages in official discourse and policy, analyzing the dominance of desecuritization in their discursive approach. Drawing on a combination of discourse analysis and expert interviews, this paper finds a consistent pattern of desecuritization in both cases, albeit for different strategic reasons. While Russia emphasizes infrastructure and economic development, using technical language to legitimize control of the NSR, Canada, while occasionally invoking sovereignty and surveillance concerns, largely avoids confrontational rhetoric, especially with respect to its bilateral relationship with the United States. The paper argues that desecuritization serves as a form of strategic maritime governance that minimizes external scrutiny while asserting legal claims. These findings challenge assumptions about Arctic militarization and contribute to broader debates about how states manage maritime spaces under shifting environmental and geopolitical conditions.