Western analyses of Russia’s Arctic strategy often oversimplify the issue by focusing on President Vladimir Putin and recent geopolitical crises, according to a new paper by Sergey Sukhankin published by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. The paper, titled “Arctic power networks: Domestic institutions, corporate actors, and ideological drivers in Russia’s High North strategy,” argues that Russia’s Arctic ambitions are driven by a durable network of state corporations, security institutions, regional authorities, and ideological organizations.
Sukhankin asserts that this network will continue to shape Moscow’s strategy for years to come, regardless of changes in leadership. The paper highlights the state nuclear corporation Rosatom as the dominant institutional force behind Russia’s Arctic ambitions, citing its control of the country’s nuclear icebreaker fleet and its involvement in the Northern Sea Route and Arctic infrastructure development.
The paper also notes that sanctions, economic adaptation, and a pivot to Asia have made the Arctic central to Russia’s grand strategy. The region is rich in resources, plays a critical role in Russia’s system of strategic nuclear deterrence, and is a symbolic frontier of Russian statehood and civilizational identity. While sanctions, demographic decline, and technological constraints have hindered Russia’s Arctic plans, Sukhankin notes these challenges have also encouraged Moscow to further centralize decision-making and strengthen cooperation with China.
Sukhankin urges Canada and its allies to expand Arctic intelligence, invest in northern infrastructure, strengthen Indigenous partnerships, address growing Sino-Russian cooperation, and prepare for a more contested Arctic. He emphasizes that the Arctic remains one of the few strategic theaters where Russia retains agency, and that understanding the broader domestic configuration underlying Arctic governance is crucial for addressing the long-term challenge it presents.
Sources
- Macdonald-Laurier Institute: Inside Russia’s Arctic strategy
- Macdonald-Laurier Institute: Arctic power networks: Domestic institutions, corporate actors, and ideological drivers in Russia’s High North strategy
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