The Non-Arctic Dimension of Military Security—Russia and the West Between Regional Cooperation and Geopolitical Confrontation

This chapter looks at how regional as well as geopolitical security dynamics affect the military security situation in the Arctic region. More precisely the chapter looks at how Arctic states’ common economic interests and regional cooperation on non-military security challenges in the Arctic intersect with geopolitical challenges, in particular with Russia’s increasing challenge of NATO’s dominance in the post-Cold War security order. Comparing NATO-Russia relations in the Arctic, Baltic and Black Sea region, this chapter concludes that the considerable overlap in (primarily economic) interests as well as a more stable power balance in the Arctic, make it more likely that East and West will, despite fundamental geopolitical differences, be able to maintain more conciliatory defence and security relations in the High North.