A Russian Plan To Annex The Arctic?

Duncan Depledge, Defense One/Quartz: How Russia Could Annex the Arctic



Russia's latest military exercise could be it's latest step toward claiming maritime borders in the Arctic.


Tensions have increased a notch in the Arctic with the news that the Russians have started a major military exercise in the region. Nearly 40,000 servicemen, 41 warships and 15 submarines will be taking part in drills to make them combat-ready—a major show of strength in a region that has long been an area of strategic interest to Russia.


Russia might be reshaping national borders in Europe as it reasserts its geopolitical influence, but the equivalent borders in the Arctic have never been firmly established. Historically it has proven much harder for states to assert sovereignty over the ocean than over land, even in cases where waters are ice-covered for most of the year.



Update: Is Russia Trying To Annex The North Pole? -- Daily Caller



WNU Editor: Russia has gone out of its way to establish an arctic military presence .... but will it be used to enforced an "Arctic annexation" .... I doubt that a sequence of events will happen. The reason why is simple .... the Arctic is an incredibly difficult place to operate in and to assert one's sovereignty .... it is also a very expensive place for operations and deployments. And while many believe that man made global warming will make the Arctic a viable route for year-round shipping .... the fact is that this year (in my part of North America which is Quebec/eastern Canada) .... all-time records for cold temperatures were reached.