A song of ice and gunfire : An analysis of Norway, the United States and Russia´s threat perceptions in the Arctic

Abstract: This essay analyses if the threat perceptions of Norway, Russia and the US can explain the decision to suspend the Arctic Council in 2022. The essay is a qualitative content analysis and uses securitization theory, which explains how issues are elevated to security problems necessitating action. The hypothesis of this essay is twofold. Hypothesis A is that there has been an overall increase in securitizing language concerning issues in the Arctic and hypothesis B is that Arctic actors have shifted more attention towards military security concerns. I also hypothesize that an increased securitization both in general terms and through an increased focus on military security preceded the 2022 decision compared to 2014. In the analysis of the materials which consist of Arctic strategies and security strategies I find that both hypotheses are supported and that an increased securitization preceded 2022 compared to 2014. However I draw the conclusion that this does not explain the decision to seize cooperation in the Arctic Council, due to the continuous support for the organization across all analyzed states