The Arctic challenge: influence, ecology or military policy?

With the global economic development the Arctic region has increasingly become important. Depletion of natural resources forces countries to exploit remote and hard-to-reach mineral deposits. International experts assess that Arctic accounts for about 13% of undiscovered oil, 30% of undiscovered natural gas, and 30% of freshwater in the world. Consequently, Arctic remains the last global disputed region.

Analysis of NATO and its allies’ activities over the past decades shows the increase in their military activity. Since 2016 NATO has carried out regular naval and air force exercises in Arctic. In 2021 Sweden, Finland and Norway conducted the Arctic Challenge drills. The regular drills are held within the framework of Nordic cooperation and remains one of Europe’s largest air power exercises.

And this policy differs to Niinistö statements in Arctic council to reduce CO2 emissions because military exercises are not ecological at all.

NATO’s increased activity in the region resulted in defense cooperation changes. NATO’s strategic interests in the Northern Europe are growing and its member countries continue to develop national strategies for the Arctic region. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said that Washington views Arctic as a new area of competition for resources and influence. NATO considers Russia to be the main threat to Arctic. Firstly, due to climate change, the Northern Sea Route along the northern coast of Russia is becoming more accessible. Secondly, the US has not yet ratified the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, that allows Washington and its allies to escalate disputes with Moscow on the maritime delimitation and the continental shelf limits in the Arctic Ocean.

Stockholm and Helsinki close cooperation with NATO will affect the situation in Arctic, because it poses a threat to Russian borders. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Erkki Tuomioja noticed that the Finnish–Russian border is the most stable in the world, and that NATO troops deployment could force Russia to take response measures.

Under such circumstances, other countries’ efforts to strengthen national defense are totally understandable. However, the Arctic states and NATO desire to have access to resources and sea route in Arctic and make them the entire world’s property, increases the region’s global conflict potential. That’s why Arctic became an arena for competition and conflict of economic and trade interests.