shipping routes for commercial vessels due to the opening up of both the NWP and NSR. 331 However, these passages are not without contention, as both Canada and Russia have disputes with other state’s over the NWP and NSR respectively. Increased Accessibility leading to conflict
KEY QUOTE “The Arctic is rapidly emerging as a major playing field in world politics” 10
Due to the increasing accessibility of the Arctic, the region is becoming more important in global politics. Because of this, more state and non-state actors will be involved in 332 the Arctic which therefore means a greater potential for conflict in the future. 333 Media speculation has suggested that the Arctic could become a conflict zone as it becomes more accessible which compliments the theory that a more accessible Arctic’s logical conclusion is one of conflict and competition with each other. 334 There is a debate over whether the Arctic is preparing for conflict or cooperation in the future, and 331 David Gove, ‘Arctic Melt: Reopening a Naval Frontier?’, US Naval Institute Proceedings , 135.2 (2009), 16-21 (pp.17-18). 332 Pauli Järvenpää and Tomas Ries, ‘The Rise of the Arctic on the Global Stage, in Arctic Security In An Age Of Climate Change , 2nd edn, ed. by James Kraska (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2013), pp.129-144 (p.129). 333 Käpylä and Mikkola, p.3. 334 Titley and St. John, p.273.
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