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Russian military base in the Arctic
Foto: The Ministry of Defense of Russia

Research project

Arctic Pressures

Russia’s reinvasion of Ukraine in 2022 precipitated a challenging new chapter for Arctic political and security dynamics. Going forward, security and governance developments in the region will continue to be marked by events and developments outside the region and how the other Arctic states and their allies and Russia translate extra-regional events to circumpolar politics.

Themes

  • Security policy
  • Diplomacy
  • Foreign policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • North America
  • The Nordic countries
  • Climate
  • Oceans
  • International organizations

There also remain longstanding global trends that continue to shape the premises for Arctic governance and security, such as climate change and developments in global regimes. The ArcPres project aims to analyze interplay across these novel and long-term drivers and the regional dynamics of rivalry and cooperation. This synthesizing approach is needed to ensure that interactions between policy fields relevant to the Arctic are considered. Our core research foci will be on empirical studies of factors that are not well-covered by existing research programmes due to their novelty, recent enhanced importance or cross-sector nature. These include: 

  • developments internal to Russia (changing Arctic politics, changing networks of actors developing Arctic relevant policies). 
  • Russia-China bilateral relations and developments of relevance to the Arctic from science cooperation to the high political level, with a focus on how these relations are affected by the war and Russia/West relations. 
  • developments of relevance to Arctic governance in broader global regimes (climate, ocean governance).
  • developments in Arctic security (including soft security issues, such as misinformation, and interplay between Western responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and security dynamics in the Arctic). 
  • developments in alliance politics developments in science-policy networks focused on Arctic governance (amongst the “like-minded” Arctic states, in Indigenous peoples’ organizations and networks and vis-a-vis Russia in Arctic policy and research fields). 

To further integrate across project outputs and existing scholarship, the ArcPres team will also incorporate and consider the high likelihood of impacts of extra-regional events and developments through scenario-building exercises. These scenario workshops will be small to facilitate dialogue, but are open to stakeholders, researchers and practitioners beyond the project team. Interest in participating in ArcPres scenario workshops is welcome and can be directed to the project leader.

Project Manager

Elana Wilson Rowe
Research Professor

Participants

Natalia Moen-Larsen
Senior Research Fellow
Kristian Lundby Gjerde
Senior Research Fellow
Wrenn Yennie Lindgren
Senior Research Fellow
Karsten Friis
Research Professor
Julie Wilhelmsen
Research Professor

Articles

Articles
New research
Articles
New research

Russian media downplays Arctic freeze

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a freeze in cooperation within the Arctic Council. NUPI researchers have taken a closer look at how the Russian media and analysts present the situation to domestic audiences.
  • Security policy
  • Foreign policy
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • The Arctic
  • Climate
Articles
Articles

Arctic Governance and Cooperation Through Conflict

Once a symbol of international cooperation and peace, the Arctic now stands at a crossroads between geopolitical tension and diverse opportunities and challenges that require collaboration. How can we move forward on key governance issues in this difficult terrain?
  • The Arctic
  • Governance
arcpress3.png
Articles
Articles

Dialogue with Northern Norwegian youth

Our project aims to engage youth in northern Norway in dialogue about pressing issues in the Arctic region.
  • Foreign policy
  • The Arctic
Arcpress.jpg
Articles
Articles

Workshop and scenario exercise in Reykjavik

The ArcPres team convened a workshop and scenario exercise in Reykjavik in October 2023, bringing together experts from Canada, the US, Iceland, and Norway to discuss future trends.
  • The Arctic
Arcpress2.png

New publications

Publications
Publications
Research paper

All Quiet on the Northern Front? Russian Media Coverage of Russia-China Arctic Cooperation

This research paper explores the extent and focus of China’s engagement in the Russian Arctic from one key Russian official media outlet, Rossiiskaya gazeta, and highlights how the daily’s coverage provides further context for understanding Russia’s approach to China in the Arctic.

  • Russia and Eurasia
  • The Arctic
  • The Nordic countries
Skjermbilde 2024-05-14 kl. 16.06.40.png
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • The Arctic
  • The Nordic countries
Publications
Publications
Report

Arctic Climate Science: A Way Forward for Cooperation through the Arctic Council and Beyond

This brief is inspired and informed by a two-day workshop in Cambridge, Massachusetts entitled “The Future of Arctic Council Innovation: Charting A Course for Working-Level Cooperation” hosted by the Belfer Center’s Arctic Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School in collaboration with the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, the Center for Ocean Governance at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, and the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center. Participants included diverse representatives from civil society, academia, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, and governments with deep knowledge of and experience with both the Arctic Council and other regional governance mechanisms.

  • The Arctic
  • Climate
  • Governance
  • International organizations
Arcpres1.PNG
  • The Arctic
  • Climate
  • Governance
  • International organizations

Themes

  • Security policy
  • Diplomacy
  • Foreign policy
  • Europe
  • Russia and Eurasia
  • North America
  • The Nordic countries
  • Climate
  • Oceans
  • International organizations

Project Manager

Elana Wilson Rowe
Research Professor

Participants

Natalia Moen-Larsen
Senior Research Fellow
Kristian Lundby Gjerde
Senior Research Fellow
Wrenn Yennie Lindgren
Senior Research Fellow
Karsten Friis
Research Professor
Julie Wilhelmsen
Research Professor