Russian hegemony in the Arctic space? Contesting the popular geopolitical discourses

As Arctic ice continues to melt, the region is becoming a contested space between coastal states vying for sovereign rights over newly accessible natural resources. Russia's 2007 deep sea flag planting at the North Pole has prompted a geopolitical game wherein the Arctic states are attempting to legally extend their current maritime boundaries. The Arctic states are legitimizing their territorial claims through international maritime law via the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Since the flag planting incident, studies have emerged which depict the region as one of Russian aggression with a future set for physical clashes. These analyses also argue that the UNCLOS is not a viable mechanism for overseeing Arctic claims and that inevitably Russia will use military force to gain power in the region. But, what these narratives fail to do is understand the Arctic political environment from a geographic perspective.;This thesis offers an alternative paradigm to understanding Arctic geopolitics and the mechanisms that guide action in the region. Through a discourse analysis of the UNCLOS, this study examines the physical geography of the Arctic space as it affects Russian power through international law. This establishes Russia's political position among the Arctic states and legitimizes the UNCLOS as an affective mechanism for guiding power relations in the region. Overall, this thesis emphasizes the importance of geography in interpreting Arctic politics and power relations. It also sheds light on the significance of looking at regional systems and different scales of analysis.