Arctic neighbours will approach Russia cautiously

Significance

Norwegian armed forces’ chief of operations Lieutenant-General Yngve Odlo hosted Lieutenant-General Stanislav Maslov, head of the Western Arctic Border Directorate of the Russian Federal Security Service, aboard a Norwegian coastguard vessel. They last met in April 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, continuing discussions on the common border based on a 1949 bilateral agreement.

Impacts

• Seven Arctic Council members’ suspended cooperation with eighth member Russia will restrict its usefulness.
• Limited cooperation could exacerbate the risks of an environmental catastrophe from increased activity in the Arctic.
• Confrontation across the Arctic will force a security rethink in Canada, among other littoral states.