The problems linked to climate change, and the renewed political and economic interests of coastal and non-coastal states, have made the Arctic region appear as a strategic place on the chessboard of the major powers.
The partial melting of the ice pack due to global warming has made the Arctic an economic opening coveted by several major powers, notably the United States of America, Russia, Canada, Denmark and Norway, which are the five Arctic riparians, but many others not riparians, such as China, European Union, and so on. Garcin, T. (2014). If, on the contrary, the Antarctic has been managed by the Washington Treaty since 1959 and the Madrid Protocol since 1991, the Arctic is
managed by this group of five, also known as the "Arctic five" Anne Denis. (2019) with an Arctic Council made up of eight countries (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, United States). Escudé, C. (2017).
However, as this territory does not belong to the lands of any of these great powers, with the economic potential that it abounds in and because of its geostrategic situation, each of these powers is trying to appropriate these millions and millions square kilometers. It should be noted
that in 2007 Russia planted its flag at the bottom of the sea through its scientists. Øverland, I. (2011). If Russia goes so far as to take this region as their own with a purely national name (The Russian Arctic), this shows the strategic and economic importance of the Arctic for the Russian Federation. The limits of the Arctic are still a matter of debate, which is why we reserve the right to make exact figures, but this does not prevent us from using estimated figures in order to get out of the imagination and not remain in space.
The Arctic is a region of the earth located at the North Pole. According to the definitions, its limits are different, but globally, the region is included north of the Arctic Circle'' A is not to be confused with the Arctic Ocean, which is delimited over an area of 13 million square kilometers
and more than 4,000 meters deep. (Futura Science)
What is happening in Arctic is problematic since Russia has reportedly threatened to use force against vessels that fail to abide by Russian regulations, while the US Department of Defense DoD in his last report from 2019 plan to increase the US military activity. (DoD report, 2019) and this is preoccupant since it can lead to a manifest conflict.
However, the United States and Russia have a cross-land and cross-sea vision for this region, which contains 13% and 30% of the world's oil and gas reserves respectively, a passage that would reduce the length of sea journeys between Europe and Asia by at least 15 days, not to
mention the diamonds, gold and other rare earths found in its subsoil. Anne Denis. (2019). Currently, this zone, which has become geostrategic, a domain of military competition, raises security issues long excluded from the agenda by the Arctic Council. If there is something that troubles, it is to know in what interest the United States and Russia are fighting for the Arctic. Scientific curiosity, using theories of international relations as instruments, especially with approaches based on national interests, leads to try to add some elements to the puzzle in order to identify the main issues at stake.
The hypothesis would be simple but also complex in view of the research question answered by this work, it suffices to remain within the logic of realism and strategic geopolitics; there one would already have projected on the interests aimed at by these two great and historic powers in the Arctic to the point of raising tensions. However, what is most important and deserves special attention is the set of answers that this work provides.
This work can serve as a reference for scientists (students, teachers, researchers, etc.), heads of states and governments and other political and international decision-makers, diplomats, climate scientists, economists and ecologists as well as all other enthusiasts who have an interest in it.
Irakoze, Leger Bebeto, (2020). The United States of America and Russia in the Arctic: The Climate change as a source of international conflict in a geostrategic setting. Relations internationales.