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НАТО В Арктике: эволюция политики североатлантического альянса в регионе и новые вызовы безопасности
The authors analyze the rapid transformation of the geopolitical landscape in the Arctic region, caused by the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO and poses a threat to both regional security and Russian national security. The study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the evolution of the military and political situation in the Arctic with a focus on the expansion of the North Atlantic Alliance's activity in the region and the challenges for Russia associated with the accession of Sweden and Finland to the organization. The region, which has been relatively conflict-free over the past decades, is once again becoming an arena of strategic confrontation. This article examines the evolution of NATO's expanding presence in the Arctic in the context of the overall politico-military situation in the region. The traditional understanding of security ("hard security") within the framework of realism serves as the methodology of the research. The methodology of the article is also based on a comprehensive system analysis, normative and legal analysis of official NATO documents. The article uses qualitative and quantitative content analysis. Results: The article identifies and justifies the main stages, reasons and driving forces behind the growth of the Alliance's activity in the North European area. The authors also focus on the history of cooperation and the logic of Finland's and Sweden's rapprochement with NATO. It is argued that the processes of militarization in the Arctic were generally in line with the global trend of intensifying rivalry between Russia and Western countries. The main challenges to Russia's national security are outlined. The article concludes that NATO enlargement is inconclusive and that there is room for growth of the Alliance's capabilities in the Arctic. At the same time, according to the authors, the preservation of the main elements of governance in the region and the awareness of common threats from a potential conflict allow in the short term to assume the fixation of the current distribution of forces and the absence of serious aggravations of the military and political situation in the Arctic.