Evolution of the U.S. Arctic Strategy’s Conceptual Basis

Introduction. The article examines the features of the main stages in the evolution of the U.S. Arctic strategy in the period after the end of the Cold War that helps to understand the future of American regional policy. The United States is one of the main participants in the Arctic policy, on which the state of security and cooperation in the region largely depends. Methods and materials. The empirical basis for the study was the documents of various institutions and departments involved in the planning, implementation and control of the U.S. Arctic policy. These documents include the directives and public papers of the president, documents of the Department of Defense, the Arctic strategies of ministries and departments, reports of the Congressional Research Service, documents of “think tanks”. Analysis. The article concludes that the Arctic became a priority of U.S. policy only in the early 2000s after the revival of Russia’s activity in the Far North. The U.S. strategy was finalized only under President Barack Obama. It directed to achieving American dominance in all spheres by combining political, diplomatic, economic, military instruments. If B. Obama considered international cooperation in the Arctic productive, then the next President D. Trump shifted the American strategy towards nationalism and isolationism, curtailing many cooperation projects. Results. The development of the American strategy was inconsistent, and so far it does not represent a coherent, consistent vision of American policy in the Arctic. Relations between the United States and Russia in the Arctic decreased in the aftermath of the Ukrainian crisis, but objective conditions for cooperation remain. The scenario for the further evolution of bilateral relations remains uncertain under J. Biden. Authors’ contribution. Valery Konyshev: introduction, contours of the Arctic policy after the end of the Cold War: strategic interests, development of the U.S. Arctic Doctrine: limited cooperation. Alexander Sergunin: methods and materials, revision of the Arctic doctrine: from cooperation to rivalry, results

China's policy in the Arctic: tradition and modernity

Abstract: The article describes the features of China's policy in the Arctic region, taking into account their relationship with the political and cultural traditions, which have a long history. Ambiguities in the assessments of intentions and prospects of China's policy in the Arctic is largely due underestimation of ties by the Western experts. The authors believe that the current China's foreign policy in general and toward the Arctic, in particular, is formed under the infl uence of such factors as the combination of «soft» and «hard» methods of management, existing sharp contradictions between the elites in the political leadership of the state, and the tradition of long-term planning in strategy. In accordance with this, the Arctic dimension of modern China foreign policy, seeks to achieve the strategic goal of access to the resources of the region in many directions simultaneously. The most important instruments include the revision of the legal status of the Arctic, an active part in the work of international organizations and active bilateral inter-state cooperation, avoiding open confrontation, “waiting” policy and incremental measures aimed at the gradual squeezing of competitors