The Arctic region is a strategic priority for Russia, which is investing heavily in its development, including the Northern Sea Route, and reorienting its naval doctrine to assert its sovereignty.
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[...] However, the biggest challenge remains financing these ambitions, forcing Moscow to be inventive. Ensuring the security of natural resource exploitation and commercial maritime traffic is also a crucial objective. But the concretization of this Arctic strategy will take decades of massive investments. In the short term, the Russian Navy is not a major threat to other regional powers. But in the long term, if its capabilities are strengthened, it could dispute more shares in the exploitation of Arctic riches, where competition is intensifying with Norway, Canada, the US, or China. [...]
[...] During a naval parade in 2023, Putin approved a new maritime doctrine placing emphasis on the Arctic and Pacific Oceans, in the face of the threat of American domination. The doctrine aims to ensure Russian control over this resource-rich area. Russia has been suffering from Western sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine. The new naval strategy is intended to enable it to compensate for its limited maritime access to open oceans and prevent any economic isolation, by exploiting in particular the Northern Sea Route. Moscow is thus resolutely defending its geostrategic interests in the Arctic. [...]
[...] The Arctic holds a particular strategic importance, particularly through the Northern Sea Route that Moscow wants to exploit economically. The new doctrine calls for strengthening military capabilities in the North, developing port, naval, and logistical infrastructure. It also foresees increased exploitation of Arctic natural resources, with better geological knowledge of the area and the construction of LNG carriers. The goal is to strengthen Russian maritime projection, being able to send its ships where its interests require, whether militarily or economically. [...]
[...] In what ways does the Arctic region constitute a geostrategic issue for the surrounding countries? Baccalaureate oral Introduction The Arctic region attracts numerous geostrategic, economic, and scientific interests from the 8 coastal countries, grouped within the Arctic Council. Climate change opens up this region, facilitating access to natural resources and maritime routes. Each country seeks to assert its sovereignty, such as Russia, which has deployed military bases, or the USA with bases in Alaska. They are also developing their icebreaker fleet and exploring oil and gas resources. [...]
[...] This risks weakening Russia's share in global maritime transport in the face of intensifying competition in the Arctic, such as from the United States and China. Russia is implementing a 15-year development plan in the Arctic but faces significant technical and financial challenges to modernize its fleet, develop its infrastructure, and ensure control of this strategic region. Presentation of Arctic Objectives and Interests for Russia and the United States The Great Objectives of Russia in the Arctic Zone Russia pursues two major objectives in the Arctic. [...]
