Once a region thought to be insulated from global geopolitical tensions (“Arctic exceptionalism”), the Arctic has now become a strategic theatre of intensified Great Power rivalry due to changed climatic and political circumstances. Furthermore, since long-standing US strategic interest in Greenland culminated in President Trump’s threats to annex the island for national security reasons, Arctic security has been catapulted into the global spotlight and to the forefront of the EU agenda. As the EU grapples with the rupture in the rules-based international order laid bare by the crisis, there is consensus on the need to redefine its Arctic posture and step up its investment in comprehensive Arctic security. Against this backdrop, the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation’s Europe Office is delighted to host the expert briefing “Quo vadis, Arctic Security?” to provide a forum for in-depth discussion of these timely questions. Leading Arctic experts Andreas Østhagen, PhD, Research Director, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Andreas Raspotnik, PhD, Director, High North Center for Business and Governance, and Karen van Loon, Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute and Associate Fellow, Egmont Institute, will map the distinct security threats across different parts of the Arctic and shed light on the underlying dynamics of the region’s evolving security landscape.
