Since the split up of the Soviet Union in the early 90's, Russia has been fighting to claim back many of its old territories in Asia, Europe and the Far North. The world has seen this in March's annexation of Crimea, and multiple invasions of Ukraine and Georgia in the last two years. What the world hasn't seen, however, is the military movements that Russia has kept under wraps since: the militarization and potential annexation of Arctic seas and lands. These claims and occupations of UN proclaimed “neutral” arctic territories have not gone unnoticed, or unmatched, by other world powers; countries with Arctic borders such as Canada and the USA have been slowly getting involved over the last ten years. Whether they are entering the dispute
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For this reason, military advantage is a very prominent benefit of controlling arctic lands. If a country were to launch a naval offensive from the Arctic, they would be able to invade multiple countries within hours. Most importantly, the Arctic contains many shipping lanes that could increase trade efficiency. In recent years, due to global warming, ice in the Arctic has been retreating in greater amounts than ever before. The Council for Foreign Relations stated that the Arctic is “warming… at nearly twice the rate of the rest of the planet… the years 2007–2013 saw the six lowest levels since satellite imaging began in 1979. Overall, the ice cap has retreated about 40 percent over this period.” (Earth: A…, “World Energy Supply”) This record melting low has opened up countless new passages in the Arctic sea area, one of the most significant being the NSR, or Northern Sea Route. The route is a considerably shorter alternative for Far Eastern trading, as it takes a much faster route over Russia rather than transversing the Suez Canal. A trip from Dailan, China to Norway takes approximately 13 days less by the NSR than by a normal route. This not only saves valuable time, but fuel as well. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, said that “[he] wants to stress the importance of the Northern Sea Route as an international …show more content…
Since the end of the Soviet Union, Russia has been trying to gain back lands, build up its military, and restore more efficient and powerful trade. Vladimir Putin made his movements very clear when he “told his defence chiefs to concentrate on building up infrastructure and military units in the Arctic. He said the region was again key to Russia's national and strategic interests, following a retreat in the post-Soviet period.” (Harding, “Russia to Boost Military Presence in Arctic”) Russia’s aggressive attitude can and will most likely spark American and Canadian resistance if it progresses further. Although not having fully announced their motivation in the Arctic, The US is likely looking for more methods of sustainable energy. The powerful nation has, for very long, been using oil outsourced from areas like South America and the Middle East. According to the World Energy Supply, the US doesn’t even manufacture half of the oil it produces. With an opportunity to acquire more crude oil and perhaps get a chance to cut outsourcing down in the oil department, the US will likely not stay dormant during the Arctic’s present
For this reason, military advantage is a very prominent benefit of controlling arctic lands. If a country were to launch a naval offensive from the Arctic, they would be able to invade multiple countries within hours. Most importantly, the Arctic contains many shipping lanes that could increase trade efficiency. In recent years, due to global warming, ice in the Arctic has been retreating in greater amounts than ever before. The Council for Foreign Relations stated that the Arctic is “warming… at nearly twice the rate of the rest of the planet… the years 2007–2013 saw the six lowest levels since satellite imaging began in 1979. Overall, the ice cap has retreated about 40 percent over this period.” (Earth: A…, “World Energy Supply”) This record melting low has opened up countless new passages in the Arctic sea area, one of the most significant being the NSR, or Northern Sea Route. The route is a considerably shorter alternative for Far Eastern trading, as it takes a much faster route over Russia rather than transversing the Suez Canal. A trip from Dailan, China to Norway takes approximately 13 days less by the NSR than by a normal route. This not only saves valuable time, but fuel as well. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, said that “[he] wants to stress the importance of the Northern Sea Route as an international …show more content…
Since the end of the Soviet Union, Russia has been trying to gain back lands, build up its military, and restore more efficient and powerful trade. Vladimir Putin made his movements very clear when he “told his defence chiefs to concentrate on building up infrastructure and military units in the Arctic. He said the region was again key to Russia's national and strategic interests, following a retreat in the post-Soviet period.” (Harding, “Russia to Boost Military Presence in Arctic”) Russia’s aggressive attitude can and will most likely spark American and Canadian resistance if it progresses further. Although not having fully announced their motivation in the Arctic, The US is likely looking for more methods of sustainable energy. The powerful nation has, for very long, been using oil outsourced from areas like South America and the Middle East. According to the World Energy Supply, the US doesn’t even manufacture half of the oil it produces. With an opportunity to acquire more crude oil and perhaps get a chance to cut outsourcing down in the oil department, the US will likely not stay dormant during the Arctic’s present