At the same time, as U.S. and E.U. sanctions and the drop in the price of oil have continued to take their toll on the Russian energy sector, Russia has turned towards East Asian states, particularly China and South Korea, for financing and infrastructure. In light of these developments, this session considers whether the Arctic Council will remain a viable arena for cooperation between Russia and the West and whether Russia really is making an eastern turn, even in the Arctic.

Speakers:

• Mia Bennett, PhD Candidate, Department of Geography, UCLA and Founder, Cryopolitics.com: Shifting from West to East: Russian-Asian Cooperation in the Arctic.
• Natalia Loukacheva, Canada Research Chair in Aboriginal Governance and Law, University of Northern British Columbia, Canada: Prospects for North American Cooperation with Russia in the Arctic.
• Elana Wilson Rowe, Senior Research Fellow/Adjunct Professor, University of Nordland: Network diplomacy and Arctic politics
• Jørgen Staun, Associate Professor, Institute for Strategy, Royal Danish Defense College, Copenhagen: Russian Arctic policy.
• Ekaterina B. Sokolova, Head of the East Asia Research Center, Center for Maritime International Studies of Admiral Nevelskoy Maritime State University, Russia: Russia's view toward international collaboration in developing the Northern Sea Route.

Chair:

• Abbie Tingstad, PhD, Physical Scientist, RAND Corporation: The Arctic as a Venue for U.S. and Asian Cooperation with Russia.