Red Arctic: Russian Strategy Under Putin

Russia's apparent designs on the Arctic region have fueled speculation of a new cold war, but a book by a noted expert challenges this assumption. The book explores Russian Arctic interests, Putins vision to regain great power status, and the emerging narrative of a new cold war in the Arctic. It makes the case that Russias renewed great power ambitions under Putin are not the only explanation for Russian Arctic strategy and fills a gap in literature.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 24 March 2023
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Renewed tensions between Russia and the West have sparked speculation that Moscow's apparent designs on the Arctic region could lead to a new cold war. Vladimir Putin's openly nationalistic ambitions, as exemplified by his seizure of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, may seem to support such concerns. However, this book by a prominent expert shifts the debate over Russia's strategy in the Arctic from what Moscow could do to the realities of what Putin's Russia is likely to do. Buchanan challenges the widely held belief that the Arctic is emerging as one of the most important strategic theaters in a potentially dangerous new cold war between Russia and the West. In fact, she explains that Putin's Arctic aspirations rely heavily on continued international cooperation through commercial partnerships with Western energy firms and Eastern injections of capital, all of which could be at risk in a new cold war. Three main themes are intertwined throughout the book: Russian Arctic interests, Putin's vision to regain great power status, and the emerging narrative of a new cold war in the Arctic. Weaved together, they provide a qualitative assessment of Russian Arctic strategy devoid of ideological biases. The book's unique departure is that it argues that Russia's renewed great power ambitions under Putin are not the only explanation for Russian Arctic strategy. By exploring the broader context of Putin's actions, the book fills a gap in the literature. It will be of interest to specialists and anyone interested in relations between Russia and the West, as well as the numerous questions about how the Arctic region will be exploited—and who will do the exploiting.

Weight: 352g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780815738886