Russia: The Greatest Arctic Power?

This assessment of Russia as an Arctic power derives from an analysis of structural and ideological factors. It looks at the following indicators: Russia's domestic political system, Russia's foreign policy, and an assessment of Russian economic and military power, primarily in the context of Arctic circumpolar affairs. This assessment also rests on the assumption that Arctic security issues cannot be separated from the larger context of global security. As a result, Russia's behavior in the Arctic over the next decade and beyond will be shaped by its great power aspirations, its relationship with other great powers both in the Arctic and outside of it and the resources available to the Russian state to support its Arctic ambitions.