STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY, SECURITY DILEMMA AND THE INTERPLAY OF INTERESTS: RUSSIA, CHINA AND THE US IN THE ARCTIC REGION SINCE 2014

Abstract

The Northern Pole's polar ice is melting at an alarming rate due to climate change, significantly impacting the region's strategic landscape. The potential for economic growth and increasing security competition has led Russia, China and the US to ramp up their politico-military activities in the region. This research paper uses a qualitative method that explores the changing geopolitics of the region through a structural realist approach to examine the strategic interests and opportunities of these three countries in the Arctic. The study sheds light on how climate change has affected the region's geopolitical and geostrategic effects and how these countries compete for influence in the area, leading to mounting concerns and policy shifts. The paper shows how Russia takes a realist approach; China enhances its influence through a developmental approach, while the US tries to increase its power to counter the influence of Russia and China in the region. Additionally, the paper explains how the interplay of interests in the region is associated with the offence-defence balance and security dilemmas resulting from the neorealist behaviour of these states. Bibliography Entry Mushtaq, Shireen, Uswa Sharif and Rida Fatima. 2023. "Strategic Opportunity, Security Dilemma and the Interplay of Interests: Russia, China and the US in the Arctic Region Since 2014." Margalla Papers 27 (1): 67-81.

Keywords

• Climate Change
• Security Dilemma
• Strategic Interests
• Environmental Protection.