Dartmouth Events

Relations between the United States and the Russian Federation have been worse in the past two years than they have been at any moment since the end of the Cold War. Years of crushed hopes and unrealistic expectations compound the animosity from the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, leaving the bilateral relationship at a qualitatively new low. Amidst the tensions in Europe and concerns over Russia’s role in the conflict in Syria, however, the Arctic has remained a bright spot in the relationship. Both sides maintain that they wish to cooperate in the region and stress the importance of continuing warm relations in the high north even as the rest of the relationship ices over. The question for U.S. policymakers, therefore, is how to leverage the potential of Arctic cooperation to maximum effect.

Rachel Salzman is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgetown University and a Visiting Scholar at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Her primary research focuses on Russia and BRICS, with particular emphasis on how the concept of BRICS fits into Russia’s broader foreign policy strategies. She also researches scientific cooperation between Russia and the United States and its interplay with political relations.

Sponsored by the Institute of Arctic Studies at the Dickey Center for International Understanding.