Will the Arctic Cooperation System Accommodate Global Geopolitical Changes?

Russia in Global Affairs. 2025. Vol. 23. No. 2. P. 23–37.

Irina A. Strelnikova, Matvei N. Chistikov, Anna A. Chistikova

This article analyzes the dynamics of international cooperation in the Arctic in the context of the post-2014 Ukraine crisis, as well as the reasons for the failure of “Arctic exceptionalism.” The authors consider the factors underlying the Arctic policies of the West, East, and South. Seeking to maintain the liberal world order, the West has tried to punish Russia for its “revisionist behavior” by isolating it and expelling it from the Arctic cooperation system. However, these attempts are nonsensical, as dialogue with Russia is essentially the main purpose of the Arctic Council and Barents Euro-Arctic Council. The West’s attempts to replace Russia with non-Arctic countries of the East and the South have also failed, as those countries have no reason to join Arctic cooperation institutions if Russia is expelled from them.

Keywords: Арктика, Арктический совет, Совет Баренцева/Евроарктического региона, Arctic, Arctic Council, Barents Euro-Arctic council, non-Arctic countries, Arctic exceptionalism, неарктические страны, арктическая исключительность