For a long time, the sustainable development of the Arctic, including its Russian part, was based on a global consensus on the exclusive status of these territories and waters. The idea, which emerged at the end of the Cold War, was that the region should be free of open conflict and competition, and that a concerted effort by all stakeholders should be made to create a common ecosystem conservation regime. However, in 2022 the situation has changed dramatically.

For a long time, sustainable development of the Arctic, including its Russian part, relied on a global consensus regarding the exceptional status of these territories and waters. Since the end of the Cold War, the region was perceived as free from open conflicts and competition, with all stakeholders coordinating their efforts to create a shared regime of the ecosystem preservation. However, in 2022, the situation changed dramatically.