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International cooperation
Russia’s perception of other
countries’ strategies
Militarization of the Arctic
Symbolic actions
Arctic Yearbook 2015
The Arctic Council is the best
platform for international
cooperation. There is no
confrontation in the Arctic
Council. The Arctic may promote
rapprochement between Russia
and the West.
The Western countries are
attempting to make the Arctic a
conflict zone by presenting
Russia as being aggressive.
Russia’s military build-up is a
legitimate ensuring of its national
security, a reaction to the military
activity of other countries and
the effects of climate change.
There is no need for military
solutions in the Arctic.
The Arctic is a territory of
dialogue. Photos with the Arctic
partners at the North Pole.
There is a battle over the firstmover advantage in the Arctic.
The Arctic should be Russia’s.
The increased interest by other
countries in the Arctic creates
security risks for Russia.
Russia is ready to protect its
interests in the Arctic by military
means.
Solo photos of Russia’s explorers
and officials at the North Pole.
Conclusions
The foreign and domestic discourse on the Russian Arctic balances between the need to maintain
favourable relations with international partners and, at the same time, to achieve competitive
advantages in the region. In the domestic governmental discourse there is a stress on the strategic
importance of the Arctic for Russia. The development of the Russian Arctic is vitally important for
Russia as a great power. Russia’s geographical location and historical achievements in the region give
it a natural competitive advantage for being the leading power in the region. The strategic aim of
Russia’s state policy in the Arctic is to keep that status and to develop it further. “Making the Arctic
Russia’s” is the essence of the domestic discourse which contradicts its cooperation-oriented foreign
discourse, but these discourses serve different purposes. Since the domestic discourse is targeted to
internal audiences, one of its functions is to maintain national pride, and at a symbolic level, Russia’s
achievements in the Arctic provide the foundation for that.
Whereas the aim of the foreign discourse is to maintain favourable relations with partners, there is an
emphasis on cooperation. However, this contradiction can be used in arguing that Russia is hiding its
true intentions and is misleading other states. Some of the leaders of Western countries are indeed
attempting to portray Russia as an aggressor in the Arctic. However, it would be more appropriate to
say that Russia’s military build-up in the Arctic is primarily a tool of strategic deterrence. That assertion
is based on the consideration that all the major players in the Arctic region are developing their military
presence, and that Russia is indeed placing an emphasis in its foreign policy on the interdependence
of interests in the Arctic, the necessity for cooperation and respect for legal norms. Therefore, it is
much more likely that the Arctic could serve instead for Russian-Western rapprochement rather than
becoming the next geopolitical hot spot. At the same time, using a peaceful and defensive foreign
Foreign & Domestic Discourse on the Russian Arctic