What's New? Arctic Geopolitics

What is the Arctic for the European Union? In this episode of What’s New, host Serafima Andreeva speaks with Andreas Raspotnik, Director of the High North Center for Business and Governance and senior researcher affiliated with the Fridtjof Nansen Institute and The Arctic Institute, about the evolution of EU Arctic policy and what Brussels can realistically achieve in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. The conversation traces the EU’s Arctic engagement from the 2008 Joint Communicatio...

In this episode of What’s New, Serafima Andreeva speaks with Guðbjörg Ríkey Th. Hauksdóttir about Iceland’s evolving role in Arctic geopolitics. The conversation explores how Iceland has shifted from viewing the Arctic primarily as an economic opportunity to treating it as a core security concern shaped by great-power competition. The episode examines Iceland’s unique position as a founding member of NATO without a standing military, and its long-standing reliance on the United States for def...

In this episode of What’s New?, Serafima Andreeva speaks with Iselin Nemeth Winther from the Fridtjof Nansen Institute about how Norway understands and navigates the Arctic today. The conversation begins by clarifying that the Arctic is not a remote periphery for Norway, but an integrated part of the country. Nearly nine per cent of the population lives in the Norwegian Arctic, which includes cities such as Tromsø, Bodø, and Kirkenes, as well as universities, hospitals, and transport infrastr...

In this episode of What’s New?, Serafima Andreeva speaks with Iver Neumann, Professor and Director at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, about what the return of great power politics means for the Arctic and for the international system more broadly. Neumann challenges the idea that geopolitics is a simple contest between self-contained states. Power, he argues, rests on social and institutional foundations, not just territory or military capability. When those foundations erode, the consequences...

Donald Trump’s fixation on Greenland has been top of the agenda for the previous weeks, but what is it really about? In this episode of What’s New?, host Serafima Andreeva speaks with Professor Andreas Østhagen (Fridtjof Nansen Institute) and Erdem Lamazhapov (Fridtjof Nansen Institute) about what the US push to acquire Greenland reveals about a shifting Arctic order. They argue that the story is less about rare earths or “Chinese and Russian ships” than about power: spheres of influence, pol...

In this episode of What’s New? Arctic Geopolitics, host Serafima Andreeva explores Canada’s Arctic from a local and Indigenous perspective. Recorded in Ottawa together with Samuel Huyer (Trent University, North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network) and Justin Barnes (Harvard Arctic Initiative, NAADSN). They unpack what Arctic governance looks like on the ground in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon—regions that make up 40% of Canada’s territory but are home to less than...

In this episode of What’s New?, Host Serafima Andreeva is joined in Ottawa by Nicholas Glesby, Network Administrator at the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network and PhD candidate at Trent University, to unpack how Canada views the Arctic from an international and security perspective. The conversation explores Canada’s new Arctic foreign policy and its four pillars, the growing emphasis on sovereignty and Arctic diplomacy, and why Ottawa increasingly sees the Arctic as shape...

In this episode, our guest Prof. Andreas Østhagen covers the ebbs and flows of Arctic Geopolitics, and how they intertwine with international relations elsewhere. This discussion covers the rapid changes in Arctic geopolitics, potential conflicts, hybrid threats, and the influence of non-Arctic states like China and India. We also explore the concept of Arctic exceptionalism, hybrid threats, and the importance of cooperation amidst rising tensions.

In this episode, Erdem Lamazhapov (Researcher, FNI) is a guest, and we explore China's interests in the Arctic, focusing on scientific research, commercial ambitions (shipping), and geopolitical strategies. We talk about the Polar Silk Road initiative, China's "identity" as a near-Arctic state, and common misconceptions about its role in the region. Additionally, the conversation addresses concerns about dual-use technologies in scientific research and speculates on future trends in China's A...

In this conversation with Dr. Gabriella Gricius, we explore the role of the United States in the Arctic, focusing on military, economic, and environmental interests. We discuss shifts in Arctic policy in the second Trump administration, the significance of the Arctic Council, and the complexities surrounding U.S. ambitions in Greenland. We also cover misconceptions about U.S. power in the Arctic and the relationship with Canada, culminating in recommendations for a more nuanced U.S. approach ...

In the second episode of "What's New?", we will be covering Russia in the Arctic. Our guest, Pavel Devyatkin, has been researching Russia for some years and is currently working from Moscow. We cover issues related to why the Arctic is important for Russia, whether it is a threat in the region, as well as the cooperation between China and Russia.