Is the Arctic on the Brink of a Hybrid War?

Annotation

The article examines the phenomenon of hybrid war in relation to Arctic politics. The goal of the study is to show how valid this concept is whom Western experts consider the main source of hybrid threats, and what they consider hybrid threats in the Arctic. The empirical grounds of the study are documents of international organizations and publications of Western authors. A critical analysis of documents and publications shows the concept of hybrid war was introduced into scientific circulation by the military, but it is also used in a broader meaning. Military experts have not yet come up with a clear definition of hybrid war. Representatives of political science use the concept of hybrid war in an even more amorphous meaning, which leads to its unlimited expansion. Based on specific examples, it is shown that any manifestations of Russian politics potentially fall under the concept of hybrid threats, which is conducive to the creation of political mythology that covers up the political goals of Western opponents. There is no consensus in the West regarding to the productivity of the hybrid threat/war concept. At the same more popular is the radical  point of view that reduces relations in the Arctic ,and international politics in general, to confrontation.

About authors

Valeriy N. KONYSHEV, Dr. Sci. (Polit.), professor
Saint Petersburg University, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Keywords

Arctic, security, hybrid war, hybrid threats, Russia, deterrence

DOI

10.37482/issn2221-2698.2020.40.165

UDC

327.8(98)(045)