Utilizing the Arctic: Putin promises further exploration

“As for the Arctic, there are not only large economic
interests for the country – a huge amount of mineral resources,
oil and gas,” Vladimir Putin said in a meeting with Russian
students on Tuesday. “But there lies a very important part of
our defense capabilities.”
In particular, the Russian leader cited an example of the
Northern fleet that patrols adjacent waters.
“Experts know too well that the flying time of American
rockets from Barents Sea to Moscow is 15-16 minutes. So what
should we do – give up the Arctic? We, on the contrary, have to
utilize it!”
At the same time Putin noted that he does not want to
“escalate” the tensions over the Arctic. “I generally
proceed from the fact that we will never have any conflicts on
such global scale, especially with such countries as the United
States. On the contrary, we need to develop cooperation,
partnership.”
“But still the [American] boats are there, and rockets are
mounted,” Putin reminded the audience.
Speaking about the situation in the Arctic, the President agreed
that there were many long-standing problems, that did not emerge
“just yesterday.”
“You've probably seen it in the media – a huge number of barrels,
metal waste, tractors” left from the Soviet era, Putin said,
adding that the cleanup of the region is under way for the first
time in 30-50 years. “So here we need to talk about how we
should better manage the Arctic.”
“But talking about divesting a territory?” the president
wondered. “When I see statements of this kind, it is either
people who are conducting self-PR campaigns, insensible of what
they do; unscrupulous observers, or people who serve the
interests of other states.”
Putin was apparently referring to an episode in October this year
when the leader of the Russian Communists, Gennadiy Zyuganov,
told a party plenum that calls for a breakup of the Russian
Federation are inspired by the ‘Imperial West’ and should be
punished by a jail term. According to Zyuganov, Russia is facing
a new wave of colonization and the attempts to cause strife
between Russia’s numerous peoples and ethnic groups were a part
of that major plan.
The Russian Constitution explicitly says that the State shall
ensure the territorial integrity of the country, Putin reminded.
“Therefore, any statements about any rejection of territories
of the Russian Federation are unconstitutional. Regarding the
responsibility, you shouldn’t go too far or underestimate the
harm that statements of this kind cause.”
To deal with separatist calls and preserve national identity,
Putin said more patriotism was needed. Without cultivation of the
patriotic sentiment, the country will “fall apart from inside
like a lump of sugar that has been dipped in water,” Putin
warned.
Conquering the Arctic
Russia, which has been exploring the Arctic for centuries, is
still the only nation in the world operating a fleet of nuclear
icebreakers, making it easier to navigate icy waters.
In an effort to master the Arctic, Russia has started building
the world’s largest universal nuclear-powered icebreaker capable
of navigating in the Arctic and in the shallow waters of Siberian
rivers.
Once finished the vessel will be 14 meters longer and 4 meters
wider than the current record holder, the 159-meter-long “50
Years of Victory” which has recently brought the 2014 Olympic
torch relay to the North Pole in its first-ever trip to the top
of the world.
Russia has conducted research in the Arctic for most of the 20th
century as the only country that uses drift stations for seasonal
research. The research mainly focuses on studying the seabed,
marine life, meteorology, exploration, and natural resources.
Lately the focus has shifted to exploring the Lomonosov Ridge to
collect evidence that could strengthen Russian territorial
claims. In 2007, a Russian expedition planted the national flag
on the Arctic seabed under the North Pole.
Moscow’s economic interests in the area are mainly divided
between natural resources and maritime transport via the Northern
Sea Route. The route which is now open for navigation around
eight weeks a year is predicted with the effects of the climate
change to see traffic increase tenfold by 2020.
Moscow is also seeking to increase foreign investment in its
Arctic projects. For instance in 2011 Rosneft signed a deal with
ExxonMobil for the joint development of Russian Arctic resources
by both companies.
Russia is also planning to deploy floating nuclear power stations
in the Arctic to be used by Gazprom for offshore oil and gas
exploitation.
Arctic pie
About 90 billion barrels of oil and 1,670 trillion cubic feet of
natural gas lie in the Arctic, according to the US Geological
Survey, making up about 10% of the world's petroleum resources.
The dominant portion of these resources are hidden beneath the
ice that is shared between five nations bordering the Arctic,
Canada, Denmark, Norway, the Russian Federation and the United
States.
The US has recently stated that because of huge economic
potential it too wants to get “very involved” in the
Arctic.
Speaking about the arctic, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in
November said the Arctic was “going to give many new
opportunities to countries, to the world, that will come with new
challenges as well. So the United States needs to be very active
in this group and be very involved.”
The director of the US Navy’s Task Force for Climate Change, Rear
Adm. Jonathan White, said the US needs to step up its planning
efforts if it wants to operate ships and aircraft in the region
by 2025.
“What do I have to start thinking about now – about research,
planning, making long-term investments for things like hull
strengthening or bridge insulation, even how we conduct routine
operations like ship and aircraft refueling?” White
speculated in November.
On Tuesday, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and
Fisheries in the US Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans,
Environment and Science, David Balton, said that mutual roadmap
in Arctic cooperation between US and Russia should involve
scientific cooperation, regulations of fisheries, and
environmental issues.
“We need to develop scientific research so that scientists
have a broader view of what is happening in the region,”
Balton said at an international conference "The Arctic: Region of
Cooperation and Development" in Russia.
The US official also stressed the need to regulate maritime
routes of the Arctic, saying that traffic will “significantly”
grow in the future and will pose a danger to the environment.
“Russia is the biggest country in the Arctic, and nothing can be
done in the Arctic without Russian participation and
cooperation,” ambassador Balton added. “So, I hope that
the government of Russia takes a very active interest in this
process.”
Other issues that needs addressing are the demarcation of the
Arctic continental shelf and the need to strengthen the Arctic
Council, which includes the eight Arctic states: Russia, USA,
Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Norway.