The Arctic and the territorialization of the Sea

This article aims to explore an increasingly prominent phenomenon on the world stage: the territorialization of the sea and its consequences for the Arctic. The territorialization of the sea and oceans is a long-standing process that is already well advanced, involving attempts to extend territorial sovereignty to maritime areas. This process, which undermines the “freedom of the seas”, recognized for centuries as a legacy of jus gentium, also blurs the clear distinction between land and sea, typical of jus publicum europaeum, with obvious consequences in terms of geopolitics, the projection of state power, and potential conflict. The result is the beginning of a spatial revolution that sees the Arctic at the forefront as a geopolitical stake, as it is subject to attempts at appropriation and occupation across its entire geographical area. The territorialization of the sea is not only not hindered by current maritime law, but may even be encouraged by it. The use of a multidisciplinary methodology allows to test the dynamics of this geopolitical process, taking into account the possible obstacles that still exist in bilateral and multilateral agreements.