NATO summits are typically dominated by discussions on defence spending, military capabilities and deterrence against Russia. Yet a quieter transformation has been unfolding within the Alliance's official documents. Climate change is no longer treated as a peripheral environmental issue but as a strategic variable that directly affects military readiness, operational effectiveness and collective defence.
The Arctic is increasingly becoming a laboratory for the interaction between sanctions, energy security, maritime logistics and great-power competition. One of the clearest examples is the emerging China-Russia Arctic LNG relationship. Western sanctions have sharply constrained Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 project by limiting access to finance, technology, insurance, shipping services and conventional buyers. Yet the project has not simply disappeared from the global energy system.
In recent years, the Arctic has become a central arena not only in the context of climate change, melting sea ice, and new maritime routes, but also in terms of energy geopolitics and great-power competition. One of the most striking examples of this transformation is China-Russia
South Korea’s preparations to conduct its first container trial voyage via Russia’s Northern Sea Route (NSR) in 2026 mark a new phase in discussions about the future of the Arctic. The Seoul government plans to send a container ship with a capacity of approximately 3,000 TEU from Busan to Rotterdam via the Arctic and has selected Panstar Line as the lead operator for this purpose.
At first glance, a high-level delegation from the Chinese navy visiting Russia’s Northern Fleet in Murmansk might seem like a routine military contact. However, this visit is significant in that it highlights the slowly shifting balances in the Arctic. This is because the region is now associated not only with scientific research and climate discussions but also with security and power competition.
If NATO were to disintegrate, the first thing to be lost would not be a building, a logo, or the headquarters in Brussels. The first thing to be lost would be the sense of automaticity.
With the acceptance of climate change as a security threat, more than one security risk may emerge in the same region. The Arctic is one of the geographical areas where the effects of climate change are most tangible and the security environment is gradually decreasing. Security concerns in the Arctic have resulted in NATO expanding its territory to the Russian border. While Russia perceives this situation as insecurity, it also means the end of NATO’s Northern expansion.
Meta-analysis is the systematic summarisation of a group of studies on a particular topic with the help of statistical methods (Paul & Barari, 2021, p. 1099). Meta-analysis, which is a systematic summarisation of individual studies on a particular subject with the help of statistical methods, is seen as a detailed literature review method in the most basic sense.
The 2024 U.S. Arctic Strategy is a comprehensive document aimed at safeguarding U.S. security and defense interests in the Arctic region. The Department of Defense (DoD) is guided by this strategy to ensure that the Arctic remains a stable region, secure the U.S. homeland, and protect vital national interests.
_png_2026_1_6_a9dd1683-a8ec-49a5-93ab-12eaefc5f30b.png "What Do the Russia-China Meetings in Murmansk Mean for the Arctic?")
_jpg_2024_12_9_514fca02-b549-4124-9c9a-769556161572.jpg "Reliability in Meta-Literature Reviews: Pressure and Resistance in Research Pathways")
_jpeg_2025_22_12_b3702079-4965-4132-8c28-6f30c62c1513.jpeg "Defense, Security, and Intelligence Revolution: Technopolitics and Demopolitics")
