April 22, 2022
The Future of Russia in the Arctic
An Institute of Arctic Studies Webinar
Embedded Files
Overview
Overview
In early March 2022, the Arctic Council called for a "pause" in all engagement with the Russian Federation due to their egregious and unprovoked aggressions in Ukraine. What does this "pause" mean for the future of Arctic collaboration, diplomacy, and security? And, given the importance of Arctic Indigenous Peoples to the workings of the Arctic Council and Arctic cooperation, what might we learn from Arctic Indigenous leaders who have worked and lived in Russia?
Speakers
Speakers
Troy Bouffard
Director, Center for Arctic Security and Resilience, University of Alaska Fairbanks (CASR)
Pavel Sulyandziga
Former leader of Russian Arctic Indigenous Peoples; founder and President of Batani Foundation
Ainsley Morse
Professor, Department of Russian at Dartmouth (translation)
Melody Brown Burkins
Director, Institute of Arctic Studies at Dartmouth (moderator)
Selected Quotes
Selected Quotes
TROY BOUFFARD
We've enjoyed years and years of cooperation in the Arctic, and we can...expect things to shift to a competitive nature. Whether it is healthy or unhealthy competition, it is certainly not what we used to have.
On the future of US policy: We need to make a decision. Do we want to sacrifice the...awesome effectiveness of the Arctic Council, [its ability] to bring focus and resources on the most important issues, especially environmental and Indigenous...? Do we want to pursue coming back to a cooperative level like before, or will it be necessary to stay fragmented, or even fractured?
PAVEL SULYANDZIGA
I have two recommendations for what political leaders in the US should do going forward.
The first recommendation is to organize wide-scale discussions about what to do going forward in the region, bringing together scientists, activists, ecologists, and others with a lot of experience working on related matters...who have openly stated their opposition to the Putin regime.
And my second recommendation to US policymakers is to work very closely with young people, ideally young people in Russia and the US. It is crucial that young people are involved.
Selected Quotes
Selected Quotes
TROY BOUFFARD
We've enjoyed years and years of cooperation in the Arctic, and we can...expect things to shift to a competitive nature. Whether it is healthy or unhealthy competition, it is certainly not what we used to have.
On the future of US policy: We need to make a decision. Do we want to sacrifice the...awesome effectiveness of the Arctic Council, [its ability] to bring focus and resources on the most important issues, especially environmental and Indigenous...? Do we want to pursue coming back to a cooperative level like before, or will it be necessary to stay fragmented, or even fractured?
PAVEL SULYANDZIGA
I have two recommendations for what political leaders in the US should do going forward.
The first recommendation is to organize wide-scale discussions about what to do going forward in the region, bringing together scientists, activists, ecologists, and others with a lot of experience working on related matters...who have openly stated their opposition to the Putin regime.
And my second recommendation to US policymakers is to work very closely with young people, ideally young people in Russia and the US. It is crucial that young people are involved.
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