RUSSIA’S GAINS IN THE GREAT ARCTIC RACE
ELIZABETH BUCHANANMAY 4, 2023
In 2007, a ceremonial (titanium) Russian flag was planted on the seabed at the North Pole. Then Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay quipped “this isn’t the 15th century, you can’t go around the world and just plant flags.” Russia’s flag, planted thousands of feet underwater, is quite the signal. The issue of extant overlapping international seabed claims for the North Pole might seem benign, especially when compared to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and tensions over Taiwan. However, there are major geopolitical ramifications stemming from this simmering and complex challenge.
Russia has used the international rules for over two decades to secure rights in the North Pole seabed. In February 2023, Moscow quietly secured a major win in the Arctic seabed legal battle. Yet, this significant legal gain comes in the midst of an international security context that is quite different from when Moscow planted its flag at the bottom of the ocean. The Arctic was a place of few avenues for cooperation and coordination between Russia and the West, and this ceased to be the case following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Without guardrails to facilitate dialogue and engagement, and perhaps incentives for Moscow to continue to adhere to the international legal regime of the Arctic, it is possible that the region is set to face its most challenging era yet.
To date, Moscow has adhered closely to the rules of game in the “race” to claim the seabed (and the riches) of the North Pole. The race refers to the converging strategic interests from Arctic-rim states: Russia, the United States, Denmark, Canada, and Norway. These interests include access to and use of emerging global transportation corridors, the future of data routes via submarine cables, preeminent satellite basing opportunities for both military and scientific purposes, as well as access to (and potentially control of) Arctic resources (living and non-living).
https://warontherocks.com/2023/05/russias-gains-in-the-great-arctic-race/
