institute of europe
the institute of europe of the russian academy of sciences
Analytical paper IE RAS No 17, 2026 «The Great Britain's "Northern Naval Alliance": Idea, Architecture, Implications for Russian Security»
- 12 May 2026
IE RAS presents Analytical papers of IE RAS No 17, 2026 «The Great Britain's "Northern Naval Alliance": Idea, Architecture, Implications for Russian Security» (in Russian) by Sergey Grinyaev, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Chief Researcher at the Center for Arctic Research of the Department of Country Studies, Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences.
The author analyzes the British Northern Navies Initiative (NNI), announced in April 2026. The aim is to assess the operational and strategic situation in the North Atlantic, the Barents, Norwegian and Baltic Seas, the role and prospects of NNI in the context of European rearmament program and consistent militarization of the Arctic by NATO. The article evaluates the relationship between NNI, Joint Expeditionary Forces (JEF) and the reform of NATO command structure, including the transfer of headquarters in Norfolk to the UK. It is shown that the initiative reflects the transition from situational interaction to an institutionalized coalition architecture, motivated not by the immediate Russian threat, but by London's desire to consolidate long-term control over the northern sea route, as European allies prepare for a potential war with Russia on the year 2030 horizon.
