| Summary: | Russia and the United States have a history of conflict, a history that may repeat itself with the changing of the Arctic. Is a warming Arctic bringing back tendencies of the Cold War to the region? Since the record low sea ice levels in the Arctic was measured in 2007, the exploitation of the region’s dire natural resources has become easier. After that year, a new era of militarization started in the region, which was further fueled by the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. This is seen in the increased mention of "national security" in both Russia's and the United States' official Arctic policies. Drawing on theories of securitization and security dilemmas, in this essay we analyze why the Arctic has become an area of interest for national security the two superpowers. We compare how the policies refer to national security and how the Arctic has changed between 2007 and 2019. Further, we discuss how the two superpowers frame opportunities and threats in the changing Arctic to their national security.
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