Brussels, 11 January 2024
Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine may not be taking place geographically in the Arctic, but it has already had a plethora of impacts on the circumpolar north, the repercussions of which are likely to spread well beyond the region.
First, the war has negatively affected cooperation, as activities with Russia in the framework of regional forums such as the Arctic Council (AC), the Barents Euro-Atlantic Council (BEAC), the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) and the Northern Dimension have either been significantly scaled down or suspended. The repercussions of curtailed scientific cooperation, which has been a hallmark of Arctic exceptionalism for decades, are feared to be especially serious, in a context where unprecedented climate change necessitates urgent joint circumpolar action.
In parallel, Russia’s war on Ukraine has had a negative impact on the indigenous peoples of the Arctic, with those living in Russia most affected. With the return of full-blown war to European soil, as well as the implications of climate change, heated geopolitics has also returned to the ‘high north’. Russia’s aggression has been a catalyst for two Nordic countries – Finland and Sweden – to apply for membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), reinforcing the Arctic dimension of the alliance.
This development is set to strengthen NATO in the region; however, the intensifying hybrid threats and a non-conventional military build-up by Russia are likely to further increase tensions in the Arctic. Russia’s isolation and the effects of economic sanctions imposed owing to its military aggression also create room for possible new dynamics and alliances in the region in the context of the changing power balance and China’s rising ambitions there.
These developments are of great concern for the EU, which – in line with its Arctic policy outlined in successive Commission communications and Council conclusions – has been actively involved in matters relevant to the Arctic. The consequences of scaled-down cooperation on climate change, the environment and livelihoods, and the changes in the security environment and China’s ambitions, all touch upon core interests of the EU.
Through its resolutions, the European Parliament has been advocating for enhanced protection for the Arctic region, for ‘peaceful cooperation while taking into account the new security realities’, and for a stronger EU policy in the Arctic that is better adapted to the current geopolitical situation.
Source : © European Union, 2024 – EP