Sustainable Security in the Arctic and Military Cooperation

Abstract

The comprehensive transformation occurring in the Arctic has strengthened and broadened concerns regarding the state of regional security and its impact on the international system. While arctic security in the post-Cold War period has been perceived and examined according to both traditional (hard security) and critical perspectives, this chapter explores a different approach, namely the concept of sustainable security. Such an approach complies with the multidimensional, multilevel and multilateral specificity of the arctic security environment, which is heavily influenced by both the geopolitical and climatic features of the region. The concept is then reconsidered as a potential analytical tool for examining today’s arctic security, and the crucial role of cooperation between militaries in pursuing this sustainable security in the Arctic is discussed.