Red Arctic: Russian Strategy Under Putin

by Elizabeth Buchanan

The Arctic is a global bellwether for climate change and indigenous peoples’ rights and traditions, as well as a “health check” on the durability of international laws and norms. Red Artic challenges the widely held assumption that the Arctic is headed for strategic meltdown, emerging as a theater for a literal (new) Cold War between Russia and the West. Buchanan explains that Putin’s Arctic strategy relies heavily upon international cooperation with foreign energy firms and injections of foreign conflict will be bad for business. Russia needs a “low tension” environment to deliver on Russia’s critical economic interests. Red Arctic charts Arctic strategy under Putin from how it is formulated, what drives it, and where it’s going. In cautioning against assumptions of expansionist intent in the region, Buchanan calls for informed judgment of the real drivers of Russian Arctic strategy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Russia, Politics

224 pages, Paperback

Published March 24, 2023

Reviews

[erin hodgson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Her main argument is that Russia’s Arctic strategy under Putin diverges from its other foreign policy strategies in that it abides by international law and cooperates with the other Arctic nations. To be honest, this makes for a bit of a boring read but she does a good job of arguing her claim with many examples of how Russia cooperates and how it baffles neorealists.

Another aspect of the book catalogs how far behind the U.S. is in terms of its Arctic capabilities, which stems from the central problem that we have not ratified Law of the Sea treaty, so we quite literally cannot make a claim to any part of the Arctic. It’s embarrassing!

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for a research project in a Comparative Foreign Policy course (senior level) at the university. Her thesis is somewhat surprising: Putin is a cooperator in the Arctic and doesn’t have imperialist ambitions in the Arctic. By the end of the book, I was fairly convinced she’s right though I didn’t necessarily agree with her supporting evidence. Interesting read though a little dry.