Ville
02-28-2012, 04:43 AM
LINK to Full Article (http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/01/201211103014285585.html)
EXCERPTS BELOW:
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union dominated the Arctic. By 1989, its Northern Fleet - based north of the Arctic Circle on the Kola Peninsula - included more than 120 nuclear submarines.
Russia's Arctic coastline stretches over 6,600 km and 11 time zones. The Kola Peninsula remains heavily militarised, with dozens of operational submarines maintaining a second-strike capability that Moscow deems essential to its "Great Power" status.
[…]
The Bovanenkovo field on the Yamal Peninsula contains 4.9 trillion cubic metres of natural gas, while the Shtokman field offshore in the Barents Sea holds another 3.8 trillion cubic metres. And the two fields exceed the total proven reserves of the US.
[…]
The Russian government is intent on transforming the Northern Sea Route into a commercially viable alternative to the Suez Canal and the Strait of Malacca.
In September 2011, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said: "The shortest route between Europe's largest markets and the Asia-Pacific region lie across the Arctic. This route is almost a third shorter than the traditional southern one. I want to stress the importance of the Northern Sea Route as an international transport artery that will rival traditional trade lanes in service fees, security and quality. States and private companies who chose the Arctic trade routes will undoubtedly reap economic advantages."
There's just one small problem: the US opposes Russia's claim that portions of the Northern Sea Route constitute Russian internal waters where foreign ships require permission to enter.
Yet the US has never physically challenged Russia's claim. When the US Coastguard icebreaker Northwind approached the Vil'Kitskii Straits in 1965, the Soviet government threated to "go all the way" if the ship continued onward. The US government responded by ordering the Northwind to turn round - and has kept its ships away ever since. As a result, the dispute has gradually diminished into an implied agreement-to-disagree...
EXCERPTS BELOW:
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union dominated the Arctic. By 1989, its Northern Fleet - based north of the Arctic Circle on the Kola Peninsula - included more than 120 nuclear submarines.
Russia's Arctic coastline stretches over 6,600 km and 11 time zones. The Kola Peninsula remains heavily militarised, with dozens of operational submarines maintaining a second-strike capability that Moscow deems essential to its "Great Power" status.
[…]
The Bovanenkovo field on the Yamal Peninsula contains 4.9 trillion cubic metres of natural gas, while the Shtokman field offshore in the Barents Sea holds another 3.8 trillion cubic metres. And the two fields exceed the total proven reserves of the US.
[…]
The Russian government is intent on transforming the Northern Sea Route into a commercially viable alternative to the Suez Canal and the Strait of Malacca.
In September 2011, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said: "The shortest route between Europe's largest markets and the Asia-Pacific region lie across the Arctic. This route is almost a third shorter than the traditional southern one. I want to stress the importance of the Northern Sea Route as an international transport artery that will rival traditional trade lanes in service fees, security and quality. States and private companies who chose the Arctic trade routes will undoubtedly reap economic advantages."
There's just one small problem: the US opposes Russia's claim that portions of the Northern Sea Route constitute Russian internal waters where foreign ships require permission to enter.
Yet the US has never physically challenged Russia's claim. When the US Coastguard icebreaker Northwind approached the Vil'Kitskii Straits in 1965, the Soviet government threated to "go all the way" if the ship continued onward. The US government responded by ordering the Northwind to turn round - and has kept its ships away ever since. As a result, the dispute has gradually diminished into an implied agreement-to-disagree...