Practical information
Lunch debate with Lassi Heininen, University lecturer and Adjunct Professor at the faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland, Finland.
Dr. Lassi Heininen presented during his study “Arctic Strategies and Policies. Inventory and Comparative Study” during the lunch debate at Ifri Brussels.
He highlighted the main challenges for the Arctic region (sovereignty and national security, energy resources, climate change and transportation, among other issues) and made an overview of the priorities of each of the eight Arctic States: Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States, and also, the European Union.
In his opinion, the Arctic is a peaceful and stable region which could become a model for international cooperation, despite increasing talks of a race for natural resources in the region. He said that we have to consider the Arctic as a new region with challenges, not as the scenario for a new cold war.
He added that the Arctic is affected by globalized with issues such as energy security and increasingly interested actors, such as China and South Korea. Yet, the Arctic countries have yet to appreciate those emerging aspects.
Other events
Nuclear Sharing in Europe: A Contested Policy That Endures
Since the end of the Cold War, the number of US nuclear weapons stationed in Europe has fallen more than seventy-fold, yet their presence in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey remains a quiet pillar of NATO's deterrence posture. This "nuclear sharing" arrangement, central to the Alliance since its founding, has long been contested by public opinion, political parties, and civil society across Europe, without ever being abandoned by host governments. This paradox lies at the heart of the seminar: why does such an unpopular policy persist?