Securitizing the Economy: How Russia Reframes the Northern Sea Route as a Strategic Asset in the Arctic Policy
Journal: Russian Politics
Year: 2025

Abstract While military and environmental aspects of Arctic securitization are well-studied, economic securitization remains underexplored. This article examines how Russia has reframed the Northern Sea Route ( NSR ) as vital infrastructure critical to sovereignty, technological autonomy, and regime survival. Drawing on securitization theory and constructivism, the study analyzes strategic documents from 2008 to 2024, tracing how economic challenges – such as infrastructural delays and technolog