Leaving its Arctic reluctance behind: the re-emergence of U.S. security policy focus towards the European High North and its implications for Norway

Abstract

ABSTRACT While both Norway and the United States are Arctic states, their security policy approaches towards the Arctic region vary. For Norway, the High North is a central part of national security policy. For the United States, the U.S Arctic has been more or less distant in both a geographical and political sense, and prioritisation of investments in the U.S. Arctic has remained relatively low. The U.S. has however increased its attention to the European High North recently. This article explores why the U.S. and Norway have so different security policy approaches towards their Arctic areas, and why the European High North is of security interest to both. It makes the case that a combination of contrasting geographical realities and international security concerns found in the North American and European subregions of the Arctic contribute to explain the different security policy approaches, and also why they both share security interests in the European Arctic. The cases of Norway and the U.S. illustrate the need to look at regions within the Arctic when studying security policies and postures there. The European High North, which holds value to several actors, is often central in addressing security issues in the Arctic, and the role that Russia plays here is key. This article adds to the literature on security in the Arctic by shedding light on U.S. military presence in this part of the region and its implications for Norwegian security outlook in the High North.