Winning the battle but losing the war : why the Lomonosov Ridge and Svalbard disputes remain peaceful

Abstract

With the annexation of Crimea, militarization, and opening of resources, the Arctic’s perceived status of exceptionalism is quickly fading. As military and economic cooperation declines, the debate on whether the Arctic will submerge into conflict or continue as a zone of peace is heightening. The purpose of this thesis is to add to this discussion. The Arctic is home to various maritime territorial disputes that could be potential triggers for direct conflict; however, this thesis argues that this will not be the case. By looking into the cases of the Lomonosov Ridge and Svalbard continental shelf disputes, this study has discovers several mechanisms that keep these two disputes peaceful. In using the neorealist, neoliberal, and social constructivist approaches, this thesis finds not only what the peace mechanisms are, but also why they continue to work as cooperation falters. This thesis also discovers how the peace mechanisms affect if and how the disputes should be settled. In adding to the discussion on if conflict or cooperation is the future of the Arctic, the findings in this study explain why the Lomonosov Ridge and Svalbard continental shelf disputes remain peaceful.