General Discussion

To carry out its grand strategy in the Arctic, Russia relies on eroding the positions of other regional players. Denmark, a fellow member of the Arctic Council, is seen by Moscow as a relatively easy target, since Copenhagen can only remain an official stakeholder as long as it maintains control over Greenland and the Faroe Islands (FI). In his 2010 book, Battle for the Arctic, Artur Indzhiev argues that “Greenland and the Faroe Islands could scramble the West’s plans in its struggle for Arctic resources… This could be used by Russia to obtain possession of Arctic treasures and deliver a blow to the unity of NATO [the North Atlantic Treaty Organization—of which Denmark is a member]…” Specifically he recommends that “Russia has to use the mounting tensions [between Denmark and its Arctic possessions] for its [Moscow’s] own benefit… [by weakening] the Danish claims. Second, we will pay them [the West] back in kind for their anti-Russian policy and support of the Chechen separatists [sic].”

Russia’s actual policies vis-à-vis Greenland and the Faroe Island are, in fact, more elaborate and far-reaching than even Indzhiev’s recommendations. And they are presently based on the following three pillars: