Russia's Arctic Military Strategy and Its Implications in the Post-Cold War Era

With the advent of the post-Cold War era, the Arctic has emerged as a region for sustainable future growth and the coexistence of various forms of cooperation and conflicts as mutual interests between coastal states become established in a variety of ways. In particular, as the Arctic development and advancement has continued since the 2000s, aspects of military strategy have been highlighted in Russia. Regarding this situation, there has been an analysis that a new Cold War between the United States and Russia in the Arctic might take place. However, President Vladimir Putin of Russia stated that military exercises, including the modernization of a military base in the Arctic, after the adoption of the "Russian Federation Maritime Strategy 2020" in July 2001, is aimed at strengthening defense capabilities and national security. In this context, this paper seeks to investigate the current status of Russia's Arctic policy in terms of military security and examine its implications. From a Russian perspective, the modernization of military infrastructure, base construction and military exercises in the Arctic region are intended to effectively respond to security threats and take a leading role in a national emergency. These also serve as a breakthrough to overcome adverse economic conditions due to Western sanctions imposed against Russia after the Ukrainian crisis, and are measures to further strengthen non-military aspects, such as climate change, sustainable Arctic development, environmental protection and economic security. In this respect, the possibility of war and military conflict between the United States and Russia in the Arctic region is quite low.