Date of Award

Spring 6-14-2025

Document Type

Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Degree Name

B.A. in International Studies

Organizational Unit

Josef Korbel School of International Studies, International Studies

First Advisor

Lewis Griffith

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Keywords

Security, Arctic, International relations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russia, Security dilemma

Abstract

The Arctic has long been considered a place of peace and scientific cooperation largely unaffected by international tensions. In the past decade, however, climate change has made the Northern Sea Route (NSR) increasingly navigable, and its status as an important trade route in a time of recurring great power rivalry has increased tensions in the Arctic. Coupled with the Arctic’s strategic location for both Russia and the United States, this has led to the militarization of the region and fears of a security dilemma that could lead to escalation and conflict. This paper will focus on the eight Arctic states as well as China to analyze how their discourse, actions, and published Arctic Strategies present their priorities in the region and how those priorities can be addressed in recommendations for keeping the Arctic peaceful. It ultimately recommends that the Arctic Council begin considering issues of military security; that NATO defers to the Arctic Council on Arctic matters; that Russia governs the Northeast Passage as an official international strait with guidance from the Arctic Council; and that Canada governs the Northwest passage as an international strait.

Copyright Date

4-14-2025

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Emma Loeber

Provenance

Received from author

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

68 pgs

File Size

2.8 MB

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