Why Russia will play by the rules in the Arctic

s/RésumésPresident Vladimir Putin is no stranger to fiery rhetoric and has repeatedly asserted his country's intention to pursue its interests in the Arctic, including a recent announcement about the need to bolster its military presence there. Rather coincidentally, Canada recently announced that its pending claim to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf may assert Canadian sovereignty over the North Pole. This paper asserts that concern over Russia's intentions in the Arctic is overblown for three reasons. First, there is little evidence to suggest that Russia will not respect the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea adjudication processes to which it is a signatory. Second, undermining the UN and international law is not in Russia's interests due to the legitimacy and influence that Russia derives from them. Finally, Putin's Arctic rhetoric is likely aimed more at domestic audiences than it is at foreign ones and, in fact, it resembles the Government of Canada's own language. Ultimately, suspicions about Russia's intentions are Cold War derivatives and are not conducive to the coordinated management of the Arctic.