Svalbard in the Context of Arctic Security
Journal Title: Arctic and North - Year 2020, Vol 39, Issue 39
Abstract
The article studies Svalbard’s role in the Arctic security agenda, the history of the implementation of the Paris Treaty 1920 with the emphasis on its security provisions, as well as the risks of engaging Svalbard in a military conflict in the region. Despite the demilitarized status of Svalbard, the evaluation of its role in the hard security situation in the Arctic is hampered by several factors. First, Norway sticks to a narrow interpretation of the Treaty 1920 provision that bans any use of the archipelago for warlike purposes. Norway does not consider such actions as the entry of military ships in Svalbard’s ports, overfly of military aircraft, and some other, contradicting with the Russian position, a violation of the Treaty. Second, the development of technologies, particularly of “dual” use, has posed the question of whether the application of some objects situated on Svalbard by the militaries — primarily the stations of space monitoring — are legitimate. Third, as the political uncertainty in the Arctic rises, Svalbard has been more often involved in the worst-case scenarios for the region — as a place vitally important for Russia and simultaneously representing potential vulnerability for NATO. At the same time, the author argues that the threat of a military conflict over Svalbard is minimal. The international Svalbard agenda is dominated by economic issues, whereas the stakeholders stay aware of the significant risks in case of a military conflict on Svalbard.
Authors and Affiliations
Andrey A. TODOROV
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP684985
- DOI 10.37482/issn2221-2698.2020.39.127
- Views 366
- Downloads 0
Strategic Trends in Energy Development of the Northern Territories of Russia
The dynamic development of the energy market is the source of Russia’s energy diversification processes. The study presents key areas in the development of the Russian energy sector, taking into account new trends and ch...
Geological and Geographical Expedition of A.A. Keyserling and P.I. Krusenstern to the European North-East of Russia
The paper provides information about the expedition to the European North of Russia in 1843. The expedition travelled about 8000 miles (about 8427 km). The main route was connected with the wa-terway along the rivers Vyc...
Transformation Processes and Nutrition Factor in the Far North Residents' Resilience System
One of the global challenges of our time is the conflict of man and human communities with the rapidly changing world order, which has an aspect lying at the intersection of culture and human physiology — the conformity...
Features of Clustering in Fisheries by the Example of Fisheries in the Northern Basin and the Murmansk Oblast
The purpose of the study is the rationale for creating a fisheries cluster in the Northern Basin. The analysis of the creation of classical clusters in foreign countries is carried out, information on the limited use of...
Axiological Preferences of Residents of the Karelian Arctic in the Modern Sociocultural Situation
The study aims to identify the hierarchy of value dominants in the axiosphere of the Karelian Arc-tic residents, which has developed under the influence of natural, social, economic, and cultural-historical factors. The...