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Why does Russia want the Arctic?


Russia has long had ambitions to control and exploit the Arctic region. In recent years under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has taken concrete steps to assert its presence in the far north in pursuit of economic, military and strategic interests. Russia’s motivations for wanting influence and control over the Arctic stem from a few key factors:

Economic Interests

The Arctic is believed to contain vast untapped reserves of natural resources like oil and gas, minerals, and fish stocks. As climate change causes ice sheets to melt, these resources are becoming more accessible. Russia wants to be able to claim and extract these resources to fuel its economy. Some key economic interests Russia has in the Arctic region include:

  • Oil and natural gas – The Arctic is estimated to contain up to 20% of the world’s undiscovered oil and gas reserves, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Russia is keen to access these reserves as oil and gas make up over 50% of Russian government revenue.
  • Minerals and metals – Russia’s Arctic territories like the Kola Peninsula contain lucrative mineral deposits including nickel, copper, cobalt, gold and platinum. Accessing these rare earth minerals is a priority for Russia.
  • Shipping routes – Melting ice has opened up two trans-Arctic shipping routes along Russia’s northern coast – the Northern Sea Route and the Northwest Passage. These routes can cut shipping times between Europe and Asia by weeks compared to traditional routes. Russia wants control over these passages.
  • Fishing – The Arctic seas contain abundant fish stocks like cod which Russia wants access to. The Russian fishing industry stands to grow significantly as waters become more navigable.

Developing the economic potential of the Arctic aligns with Putin’s wider goals of exerting Russian influence globally and economically. Tapping into Arctic resources can make Russia less dependent on European energy markets while generating billions in state revenue.

Military and Strategic Interests

Russia sees the Arctic as strategically important for its nuclear deterrent and naval power. Russia’s Northern Fleet – based in the Arctic – contains two-thirds of Russia’s nuclear submarine fleet including ballistic missile submarines. The Arctic provides Russia with vital access points for its submarines to navigate into the North Atlantic.

With melting ice caps, NATO and other powers are displaying increasing interest in the Arctic. Russia wants to control and militarize the region to protect its strategic naval nuclear capabilities and Arctic coastline from perceived threats.

Some of Russia’s key military/strategic interests include:

  • Nuclear deterrent – Russia’s sea-based nuclear weapons rely on concealment under Arctic ice sheets. The Northern Fleet’s unfettered access to the Atlantic from the Arctic is essential for Russia’s second-strike capability.
  • Naval bases – Russia has been revamping old Soviet-era bases like the Northern Clover military base and building new installations to house missiles, radar and military units.
  • Bastion defense – Russia aims to establish an integrated network of air defense, coastal missiles and radars to protect its Arctic coastline and bases, known as a bastion defense.
  • Control of Northern Sea Route – Russia wants to control the Northern Sea Route for its navy while limiting access for NATO allies and partners.

Re-asserting military dominance over the Arctic helps Putin send a message that Russia is a formidable global power that needs to be reckoned with. It sees NATO’s Arctic-capable members like Norway as security threats.

Nationalist Motivations

Controlling the Arctic plays into Putin’s larger nationalist ambitions to restore Russia as a dominant world power. He wants to re-establish Russia’s Soviet-era influence over Arctic territories it previously controlled.

The Arctic ties into Russian nationalist identity. Explorers like Ivan Papanin conducted expeditions there during the Soviet era. Russia’s claim to an ‘Arctic empire’ stems from history dating back centuries.

Putin himself has stated Russia’s Arctic territories are “indispensable” and a crucial part of its history. Expanding Russia’s presence and jurisdiction in the Arctic is portrayed as defending Russian sovereignty over its rightful northern territories.

Nationalist sentiments and anti-NATO propaganda are used to justify Russia’s military build-up in the Arctic. Portraying the region as rightfully and historically Russian is aimed at boosting public support.

How Is Russia Asserting Control Over the Arctic?

Under Putin, Russia has undertaken a concerted effort to assert power over the Arctic through military means as well as legal claims and economic investment. Key ways Russia is expanding its Arctic presence include:

Military Build-Up

Russia has prioritized building up its military capabilities suited for Arctic warfare:

  • Opening revamped bases across the Arctic coast and islands capable of housing radar, missiles and military units.
  • Building new icebreakers, including nuclear-powered vessels, for Arctic navigation.
  • Deploying state-of-the-art air defense systems like the S-400 and Pantsir-S.
  • Expanding its Northern Fleet with submarines capable of launching cruise missiles and ballistic nuclear missiles.
  • Deploying lighter Arctic-optimized vehicles like the DT-30 Vityaz over heavy tanks.
  • Developing a dedicated Arctic branch within the armed forces.

Russia’s huge investment in weapons systems specially adapted for Arctic conditions signals its priorities for controlling the far north. It aims to achieve naval and aerial supremacy over NATO.

Legal Claims

Russia has staked legal claim to vast portions of the Arctic and its resources under international law:

  • In 2001, Russia submitted a revised claim to the UN for 1.2 million square km of Arctic seabed based on its continental shelf borders.
  • In 2007, a Russian submarine famously planted a titanium Russian flag on the seabed at the North Pole to assert Russia’s polar claims.
  • Russia argues the Lomonosov Ridge extends from Siberia, making it an extension of Russia’s continental shelf under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Through these legal claims, Russia maintains it has exclusive rights to resources on and beneath the Arctic seafloor. These assertions are being reviewed by the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

Economic Development

To help achieve its resource extraction goals, Russia is investing in Arctic development:

  • Gazprom and Rosneft are developing onshore and offshore natural gas/oil projects in Siberia and the Russian Arctic.
  • Mining companies are expanding operations to tap iron ore, nickel and other minerals.
  • New icebreakers are being commissioned to provide year-round access along the Northern Sea Route.
  • Arctic infrastructure like ports, pipelines and roads are being built up.

Russia is also offering tax breaks, subsidies and offshore oil concessions to incentivize companies to pursue Arctic development. It sees governance control over the region as the key to reaping its economic benefits.

Cooperation with China

Facing Western sanctions, Russia has increasingly turned to China for Arctic cooperation:

  • China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ has expanded to the Arctic and Russia’s northern sea route.
  • Yamal LNG, Russia’s largest Arctic gas project, is financed in large part by Chinese loans.
  • The two countries signed an agreement in 2018 to pursue Arctic development together while respecting each other’s interests in the region.
  • They have conducted multiple joint Arctic expeditions and military exercises.

Collaborating with non-NATO China in the Arctic serves both Russian and Chinese interests in challenging the Western-led global order. It provides Russia access to technology and financing to accelerate development.

What Challenges Does Russia Face in the Arctic?

Despite its ambitions, Russia also faces some constraints on its Arctic aspirations:

Climate and Geography

Russia’s Arctic region is remote, sparsely populated and lack key infrastructure. The brutal climate poses engineering challenges for construction and transportation. Russia’s main Arctic exports must travel through environmentally fragile areas. Harsh conditions increase extraction costs.

Economic Costs

Arctic resource projects are extremely expensive to set up and maintain, requiring technologies like ice-resistant rigs and pipelines. With Russia already hit by sanctions and lower oil prices, Arctic developments may strain its budget.

Reliance on Western Technology

Most of Russia’s offshore drilling equipment comes from the West. Sanctions have slowed Russia’s progress on Arctic oil projects as it lacks certain technical capabilities of its own. It remains dependent on Western partners and equipment.

Competing Claims

Russia’s Arctic claims overlap with those of other nations including NATO members. These disputed claims raise the prospect of international legal challenges. As the Arctic opens up, Russia will have to negotiate with rivals.

Environmental Concerns

Oil spills and other accidents would be disastrous in the ecologically fragile Arctic region. Environmental disasters would harm Russia’s interests and invite global condemnation. It will need to mitigate risks.

NATO Presence

While Russia has built up its military in the region, so have other Arctic NATO members like Norway and Canada. NATO conducts Arctic drills and patrols which Russia perceives as encroachment on its sphere of influence.

Russia has clear motivations for pursuing Arctic dominance, but achieving its ambitions faces geographic, economic and geopolitical hurdles. How it navigates these complexities will determine its future role in the Arctic.

Conclusion

Russia’s ambitions in the Arctic are driven by a combination of economic, military, nationalist and strategic imperatives. It sees controlling Arctic resources and sea lanes as key to restoring its superpower status and reviving its economy. Militarizing the region is also vital to protecting its northern borders and naval nuclear capabilities against NATO.

However, Russia also faces big challenges in harnessing the Arctic’s full potential from its remote geography to environmental risks. Its claims are also contested by other nations. But Russia has invested heavily in the Arctic, and it is likely to remain a core focus of its foreign and defense policy going forward. Putin is staking Russia’s great power aspirations on the Arctic, seeing it as a vital asset and vulnerability.