Back to the future of the Arctic: the enduring relevance of arms control

• Main Author: Paul, Michael
• Other Authors: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik -SWP- Deutsches Institut für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: DEU 2024
• Subjects: Politikwissenschaft; Political science; Arktis; Arktisches Meer; Außenpolitische Einflussnahme; Einflusssphäre; Vertrauensbildende Maßnahmen; Friedens- und Konfliktforschung; Sicherheitspolitik; Peace and Conflict Research; International Conflicts; Security Policy; Nordpolargebiet; Rüstungskontrolle; internationale Sicherheit; Russland; China; USA; Großmacht; Arctic; arms control; international security; Russia; United States of America; great power; 10500; Arktis*; Nordpol*
• Online Access: https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/94891; http://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-94891-3; https://doi.org/10.18449/2024C18

Russia's war against Ukraine seems to have no immediate end in sight, the strategic competition between China and the US continues, and the expanding military cooperation between China and Russia increases the challenges facing the international com­munity. In this context, the Arctic seems to be a relic of the past, no longer the "zone of peace" that Mikhail Gorbachev described in 1987. Indeed, this Arctic exceptionalism ended long before Russia's war of aggression began. In order to restore at least a minimum level of cooperation, informal talks are needed that could help to provide perspective after the end of the war. Two former relatively uncontroversial projects could serve as starting points: the recovery of radioactive remnants of the Cold War and an agreement to prevent unintentional escalation, namely, another Incidents at Sea Agreement (INCSEA). A return to old approaches to arms control could pave the way to renewed cooperation in the Arctic in the future. (author's abstract)