Kremlin lays claim to huge chunk of oil-rich North Pole

[CHIMO]

Source: The Guardian

It is already the world's biggest country, spanning 11 time zones and stretching from Europe to the far east. But yesterday Russia signalled its intention to get even bigger by announcing an audacious plan to annex a vast 460,000 square mile chunk of the frozen and ice-encrusted Arctic.

According to Russian scientists, there is new evidence backing Russia's claim that its northern Arctic region is directly linked to the North Pole via an underwater shelf.

The Law of the Sea Treaty is the world's primary means of settling disputes over exploitation rights and navigational routes in international waters. Russia and 152 other countries have ratified it.

But the US has refused, arguing it gives too much power to the UN. If the US does not ratify it, Russia's bid for the Arctic's energy wealth will go unchallenged, proponents believe.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2113289,00.html

Welcome Comrade.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2113289,00.html

[Lex1775]

1. Why can't one of the other countries...

... that ratified it challenge Russia? Or why can't a bunch of them all get together and challenge this?

[OldschoolDem]

3. There is no country on earth besides maybe China that can stand up

to both the United States and Russia together.

[Lex1775]

6. You lost me....

Why would any country have to stand against the US AND Russia. This is just about standing against Russian claims, no?

[Occulus]

12. OSD appears to be assuming the US would allow this.

In such a situation, yes, China would be the only one sufficiently powerful to take both to task if push came to shove.

You're right, though: this is about Russia's sole claim. In this case, the rightwing contempt for the UN actually works against the US; we haven't signed the treaty. The claim Russia is making is thus legit and (I would think) we don't have standing to challenge it.

For the rightwingers, I'm reading this as a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't scenario.

And then there's the oil.

The whole situation is just so ridiculous. As other posters point out below, Canada could claim Russia is part of it, or the other way around, with both using the same criteria.

It's all just plain silliness.

By the way, welcome to DU! :hi:

[CHIMO]

4. Maybe

Canada could declare Russia part of Canada!

"Frankly I think it's a little bit strange," Sergey Priamikov, the international co-operation director of Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute in St Petersburg, told the Guardian. "Canada could make exactly the same claim. The Canadians could say that the Lomonosov ridge is part of the Canadian shelf, which means Russia should in fact belong to Canada, together with the whole of Eurasia."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2113289,00.html
Or it might be vice versa?

[LisaL]

9. Exactly. Why shouldn't it be the other way around?

Maybe Russia will say Canada belongs to it too. LOL.

[Gman]

2. Ideology meets the real world

welcome to it, neocons that hate the UN. Big Oil is about to give you a kick in the ass to snap you out of your ideological dream world.

Sit back and watch how fast ideology goes out the window.

[Swede]

5. Hey,Canada can claim Russia using the same criteria!

"Frankly I think it's a little bit strange," Sergey Priamikov, the international co-operation director of Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute in St Petersburg, told the Guardian. "Canada could make exactly the same claim. The Canadians could say that the Lomonosov ridge is part of the Canadian shelf, which means Russia should in fact belong to Canada, together with the whole of Eurasia."

[Hand]

8. Just what we need. Not. nt

[CK_John]

7. Welcome to the oil wars and melting of the artic waters. Canada better get

some warships to the Northwest passage or they have no claim.

[unkachuck]

10. yes Comrade....

....who's going to argue with Russia with all it's nuclear weapons?....you have to have nuclear weapons with delivery systems to be considered and taken seriously in the new bush-world, and Russia has them in spades....

....UN, international treaties, international law?....not to worry Comrade, it doesn't mean a thing in bush-world....if you have nukes and you see something that you want, go ahead, take it, it's yours!

....so Comrade, if you want the North Pole, help yourself....

[MrPrax]

11. Oh What a Feeling...What a Sluuuussshhhh...

It's raining at the North Pole (or close to it) and Greenland had a world speed record. It all happened through the weekend:

One World expedition – Summer Arctic crossing

Rainy days

"It's Memorial Day. We're staying put in our tent today because it's raining. Puddles of water are pooling on our canoe covers when I look outside; special thanks to our waterproof Hilleberg tent with the high sides, it's keeping us dry here.

Seagulls are flying overhead, they don't seem to mind the wet conditions as they fly around our red tent over a sea of white ice pans. Raining on the 30th of May is normal for Minnesota, but here on the Arctic Ocean it seems quite early. It's more normal for July and August. Perhaps this is another sign that the earth is warming.

http://www.thepoles.com/story/%3Cfontcolorff9900%3EArcticwrap-upRainandworldrecordMay312005.shtml">The Poles -- blog entry

Then there's NASA

So 'oil' wants more access...

[The Brethren]

13. whoever said

that Russia is not the super-power and threat that it use to be, is a sleep behind the wheel. All the pieces are falling together like a well thought out chess game. And Russia, nor China, should ever be underestimated.

If Priamikov is correct, then why wouldn't Canada make the same claim? Are you listening Canada? Your knight to Russia's rook.