Logo: to the web site of the Swedish Defence University

The Arctic is a developing region from a security policy point of view. The past years have seen many different analyses pointing to different challenges and threats stemming from climate change and spillover effects of rattled geopolitics. As the images of threats in the region are yet to be institutionalized, it is fruitful to study the ongoing threat framing performed by actors with stakes in the game. Larger actors have been thoroughly studied, but smaller states less so. By comparing two largely similar states – Denmark and Norway – using a framing methodology, we gain nuanced rigor in terms of how threats in the Arctic can be framed. This thesis contributes to our empirical understanding of the region but also contributes to theories of threat framing and agenda setting in a developing security scenario. Its key findings show that the two states have a lot in common, but also differ on a few important notes. Norway is for example more wary of framing Russia as a threat, while Denmark seems much more troubled by Chinese presence in the region.