The Geopolitics of Climate Change: Russia’s Paradigm Shift

MIN READJun 30, 2021 | 10:00 GMT

A view of Russia’s northernmost military base on the island of Alexandra Land on May 17, 2021.

(MAXIME POPOV/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. Defense Department is increasingly considering climate change in its assessments of future threats and challenges. In numerous reports, climate change implications are often characterized as “threat multipliers” -- that is, elements that exacerbate existing trends or instabilities. But there are aspects of climate change that have even deeper implications by changing either the physical geography of particular spaces or their perceived relative significance. Today, we are seeing climate change potentially alter fundamental geopolitical structures, with the Russian Arctic at the forefront. ...