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Russia to boost military presence in Arctic as Canada plots north pole claim
Source: The Guardian
Russia to boost military presence in Arctic as Canada plots north pole claim
Luke Harding and agencies
The Guardian, Tuesday 10 December 2013 17.34 GMT
The political temperature in the Arctic rose on Tuesday when Vladimir Putin vowed to step up Russia's military presence in the region in response to a claim by Canada to the north pole.
In typically trenchant style, the Russian president 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.
His comments were a direct and rapid riposte to Canada, a rival Arctic power. On Monday Canada's foreign minister, John Baird, said his government had asked scientists to work on a submission to the UN arguing that the outer limits of Canada's territory include the north pole, which has yet to be claimed by any country.
The submission will further assert that Canada owns the Lomonosov Ridge, an undersea mountain range between Ellesmere Island, Canada's most northern landmass, and Russia's inhospitable east Siberian coast. Russia insists that it is the ridge's true owner. In 2007 Russian scientists carried out a mission to the region and came back claiming the shelf for the Russian Federation. Divers even planted a flag on the seabed.
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Luke Harding and agencies
The Guardian, Tuesday 10 December 2013 17.34 GMT
The political temperature in the Arctic rose on Tuesday when Vladimir Putin vowed to step up Russia's military presence in the region in response to a claim by Canada to the north pole.
In typically trenchant style, the Russian president 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.
His comments were a direct and rapid riposte to Canada, a rival Arctic power. On Monday Canada's foreign minister, John Baird, said his government had asked scientists to work on a submission to the UN arguing that the outer limits of Canada's territory include the north pole, which has yet to be claimed by any country.
The submission will further assert that Canada owns the Lomonosov Ridge, an undersea mountain range between Ellesmere Island, Canada's most northern landmass, and Russia's inhospitable east Siberian coast. Russia insists that it is the ridge's true owner. In 2007 Russian scientists carried out a mission to the region and came back claiming the shelf for the Russian Federation. Divers even planted a flag on the seabed.
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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/10/russia-military-arctic-canada-north-pole
1 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
Formerly known as the North Pole?
With all the gas and oil hanging out under there, ripe for the pumping, there's no way the US will forfeit in this round of the Great Game. Particularly with Canada and Russia positioning themselves as potential winners of the global warming lottery. China could be locked out or placed in a far less desirable position in energy terms. The US, on the other hand, can play the Alaska card.
So what if it hastens the extinction of all forms of life on planet Earth, the Koch Brothers want that oil!
