Foreign & Domestic Discourse on the Russian Arctic
Ieva Bērziņa
The strained relations between the West and Russia regarding influence in Ukraine may lead to an increase in tension in other
regions. The Arctic may become a potential zone of conflict due to its rich natural resources, new transportation routes, military
significance, and unsolved territorial issues. The aim of this paper is to identify the governmental discourse of Russia’s top officials
describing Russia’s state policy on the Arctic for foreign and domestic audiences. The paper focuses on the period from 2013 till
2015 when tensions in the relationship between Russia and the West increased due to the crisis in Ukraine. The units of analysis
are public statements by senior officials of the Russian Federation in speeches and reports in the media. The major finding is that
the Arctic should serve in Russian-Western rapprochement rather than becoming the next geopolitical hot spot.
Introduction: the regulatory framework of Russian Arctic discourse
This article aims to identify how Russian senior officials are communicating Russia’s policy on the
Arctic, the main guidelines of which are defined in several documents. The basic documents that the
Russian government mentions as being the key decisions on Arctic operations (Government of the
Russian Federation 2015) include: Foundations of Russian Federation State Policy in the Arctic through 2020
and beyond (2008, Septe