'Why NATO Isn't as Powerful as We Imagine'

The Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavík begins Thursday this week. The event is the largest annual international gathering on the Arctic, attended by more than 2000 participants from over 60 countries.

Andreas Østhagen, affiliated with the High North Center and a senior researcher at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, is one of the researchers who will be present in the Icelandic capital.

He is a prominent voice in Arctic affairs and shares that he will challenge common perceptions about NATO's role in the region.

– There's a widespread idea that NATO as an organization is more powerful than it actually is, and that everything is coordinated from Brussels, Østhagen explains.

– In reality, NATO is primarily a tool for its member countries. NATO doesn't have a specific Arctic policy, just as it doesn't have a specific Mediterranean policy.

• See all sessions the High North Center is involved in during the Assembly.

Strategic Important

This misconception about NATO's power is just one of several topics Østhagen will address.

He'll also discuss the increasing interest of non-Arctic states in the region and the geopolitical significance of areas like the Barents and Bering Seas.

– It's in these areas that NATO countries, Norway and the US, meet Russia and must balance increased military activity with the need for contact and dialogue around fish stocks, search and rescue, and maritime transport.

In a recent op-ed in Dagens Næringsliv, he and his co-authors highlighted the region's strategic importance, particularly in light of Russia's actions in Ukraine:

In the north – right across the border – we face Russian nuclear weapons. The Russian Northern Fleet sails outside our living room

This perspective underscores the complex geopolitical landscape Østhagen will explore in his sessions.

Discussions On Svalbard

Another key topic on Østhagen's program will be Svalbard's geopolitical significance.

– Svalbard is geopolitically interesting, Østhagen says.

– This is mainly because citizens from all countries that have signed the Svalbard Treaty – including Russia – can settle on the archipelago, and because Svalbard is relatively close to the Kola Peninsula and Russian strategic capabilities.

The High North Center will also contribute to other sessions and host a reception to introduce the new YoungArctic project, which aims to make the Arctic more attractive to young people.

The reception will take place on October 18 at HNOSS Restaurant in Harpa with registration still open.

Additionally, the ArcBlue project will host a session on gender visibility in Arctic ocean spaces, and its project leader Andreas Raspotnik will moderate sessions on EU Arctic policy and illegal fishing in the region.

Learn more about our program.