Russia Wins the Race for the Arctic – CNN
Russia occupies a dominant position in the Arctic, and global warming opens up new economic opportunities for Russians.
CNN writes about this , as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
The Arctic debate is heating up like never before, as US President Donald Trump continues to insist on incorporating Greenland into the United States. But while Trump's demands to cede territory belonging to one of his closest and most reliable allies to the US have raised eyebrows around the world, the race for the Arctic has been going on for decades. And Russia has long been winning.
There's no doubt that Moscow occupies a dominant position in the Arctic region. It controls approximately half of the land and half of the exclusive maritime economic zone north of the Arctic Circle . Two-thirds of the Arctic region's population lives in Russia. And while the Arctic accounts for only a small portion of the global economy—about 0,4%, according to the Arctic Council, the forum representing the Arctic states— Russia controls two-thirds of the region's GDP ," the article states.
It is noted that the scale of Russia's military presence and the pace of its expansion in recent years have caused serious concern for NATO . Furthermore, Moscow has invested significant resources and effort in modernizing its fleet of nuclear submarines, which forms the core of its military power in the Arctic.
It is noted with concern that in 2024, China and Russia began joint patrols in the Arctic as part of a broader cooperation between the two countries.
Furthermore, the rapid melting of ice " could open up enormous economic opportunities in mining and shipping ." Thanks to warming, two shipping routes that were virtually impossible just two decades ago are now open, and the Northern Sea Route reduces travel time between Asia and Europe to approximately two weeks, roughly half the time required to travel the traditional route through the Suez Canal.
"Since 2022, Russia has stepped up its use of the route, using it to transport oil and gas to China after sanctions deprived it of its former European customers," CNN notes.
Russia Wins the Race for the Arctic - CNN