ABSTRACT
Strategically located on NATO’s northern flank, controlling vast and resource-rich maritime areas north of the Arctic Circle, and sharing a land, air, and maritime border with Russia, Norway is an Arctic power with a front-row seat. As elsewhere in the Arctic, the security situation in the Barents Sea region has undergone significant changes in recent years. Central factors in this regard are climate change and growing human activity, Russia’s military modernization, and the post-2014 deterioration of Russia’s relationship with the West. In the new geopolitical environment, increased attention should be paid to the need for confidence-building measures and enhanced “soft security” cooperation.
