ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that how Arctic security has been dealt with from a state perspective, and how we can conceptualize and differentiate the Arctic as a so-called 'security region'. The argument is thus that the Arctic is being militarized, as littoral states are placing pieces on the chessboard in advance of an imminent geopolitical conflict. The chapter highlights how the upsurge in hype concerning Arctic conflict amongst media and scholars alike is not something that rose out of the Ukraine conflict in 2014. In sum, the Arctic's importance in the various national security and defence policies varies quite considerably. An Arctic security environment, or the Arctic as a 'security region', must be understood – at a bare minimum – along two dimensions. The first is the role the Arctic has in the various countries, for security purposes. The second is the separation over outright cross-regional conflict, and smaller, more localized disputes that have the potential to derail amicable relations.
