As Wednesday’s UN deadline for countries to file claim for the right to the Arctic seabed beyond their coastlines passed, Russia released a new national security strategy, which strongly hinted that there may possibly be conflicts in the future over who has rights to the Arctic oil.

The strategy claims that there is the possibility of war breaking out as a result of the struggle for control over Arctic gas and oil. The strategy examined potential threats to Russia’s security over the next decade.

“With the ongoing competition for resources, attempts to use military force to solve emerging problems cannot be excluded – and this might destroy the balance of forces on Russia’s and its allies’ borders.”

Russia’s Security Council, which includes the country’s Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, developed the security strategy, which is the first one published since 2000.  It was signed off by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday.

The document also says that, “The presence and potential escalation of armed conflicts near Russia’s national borders, pending border agreements between Russia and several neighboring nations, are the major threats to Russia’s interests and border security.”

The release of this Russian security document is the country’s latest move in what some are calling an overly aggressive Arctic campaign.  Russia also seems to be somewhat contradictory in its approach to Arctic resources, one minute claiming it will fully cooperate with other countries in developing a peaceful Arctic solution and then releasing documents such as this, claiming they are preparing for a full on war.

Rob Huebert, a University of Calgary political scientist sums it up:

“The Russians have been talking very co-operatively, but they have been backing it up with an increasingly strong military set of actions. You mix uncertain boundaries with major powers and massive amounts of oil and gas, and you always get difficult international circumstances.”