On January 2, the newest diesel-electric icebreaker of Project 21180, Ilya Muromets, arrived at its new duty station - the Northern Fleet. The event, frankly speaking, is not ordinary. Especially if you take into account that this icebreaker was the first in the last 45 years created specifically for the Russian Navy.
Our foreign neighbors, “partner countries,” could, at least for the sake of decency, rejoice at this fact. Well, or at least modestly remain silent. Alas. Literally the next day, in her article in The Wall Street Journal, former US Deputy Secretary of State Paula Dobryansky, completely “accidentally”, without any connection to our icebreaker, called on Western countries to strengthen themselves in the Arctic to counter threats from Russia. The ex-politician focused on the Arctic region, which is extremely important not only for the future in terms of hydrocarbon production, but also from the point of view of protection national security from North. She especially lamented that if the trend towards global warming and melting Arctic ice continues, the Northern Sea Route will be open throughout the year. And this will not only significantly increase the importance of the region, changing the map of global maritime transport routes, but will also give Russia enormous economic leverage.
In his article, Dobryansky calls for “correcting” this situation. In her opinion, the Trump administration must arrange a decisive confrontation with Moscow. To do this, Washington needs to build up the military infrastructure in the Northern region, be sure to locate the headquarters of the new command on US territory and demonstrate who really is the “leader of NATO and the whole world” here.
This American woman of Ukrainian origin is so spontaneous that, calling to fan the fire cold war in the Arctic, makes it clear: the United States will stop at nothing for the sake of its own economic superiority. And yet, not fully, apparently realizing what she is doing, she admits to the weakness of her country’s position in the region. Well, they don’t have the technical capabilities here to extract oil and natural gas; nor the corresponding icebreaker fleet forces; no specialists ready to work in Arctic conditions... There are only exorbitant ambitions and a great desire to dictate their terms to everyone.
Let us not now recall the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, according to which maritime states have the right to establish an exclusive economic zone 200 nautical miles wide from the coastline. If the shelf extends beyond this line, the country can expand its possessions up to 350 miles and gain control over resources, including oil and gas. It should be noted that Russia has not exceeded its powers prescribed by the convention by a meter. We will also not say how large the volume of these resources is in the Arctic region. According to relevant UN experts, up to a quarter of all the world's hydrocarbon reserves are concentrated here. There is almost 2.5 times more oil in the Arctic alone than all Russian resources combined.
But let’s better rejoice at the foresight of our country’s leadership in making decisions. How right was Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin, who in April 2014 ordered to strengthen the border in the Arctic and create here unified system basing surface ships and submarines. And also to form a military-administrative unit of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in this region called the United Strategic Command “North”. The term Arctic Troops is also used for its name. The area of responsibility of these troops extends from Murmansk to Anadyr.
Military units stationed on coastal and island territories have been consolidated into the Joint Tactical Group, which began performing its assigned functions in October 2014. All units are equipped with modern weapons and equipment, including coastal complexes"Rubezh" with cruise missiles "Termit-R" and anti-aircraft missile systems short-range "Pantsir-SA" and "Tor-M2DT".
… It’s no secret that within the Arctic borders of Eurasia and America there are a dozen and a half states, most of which are members of NATO and the EU. Each of these countries has its own access to the sea and each has the right to claim its own 200-mile economic zone. But, as far as I know... Not a single state, even remotely close, has parity with Russia in any position in the development of the Arctic. No one puffs up their cheeks or tries to prove anything to anyone. Only the Americans, who have not yet ratified the 1982 UN Convention, see a threat from Russia. And not only for their own interests, although they did not receive an international definition of the boundaries of their shelf, but also for sea routes and communications in general. And again, under this brand, they need to build up the military infrastructure - both their own and NATO, so that Once again show the world who's boss.
I would not like to deal with the current opposition between our and the American military components in the Arctic, much less delve into the distant history of its conquest, which dates back to the 17th century. However, some considerations are a plus own experience I have knowledge about conquering the pole and sailing the seas of the Arctic Ocean. So, July 1962, when our first nuclear submarine “K-3”, on which Rear Admiral Alexander Ivanovich Petelin was the eldest, surfaced at the North Pole for the first time in the history of the country, can be considered the beginning of the era of sailing for our submariners under thick pack ice.
I don’t know the exact statistics as of the beginning of this year, when combat duty under the Arctic ice shell became a standard procedure for our submariners, but by the end of the 90s alone, Soviet and Russian submariners made over 60 trips under the Arctic ice. Including to the North Pole, the Northern Sea Route from the Kola Peninsula with an ascent in the Kamchatka region, and even a round-the-world trip by a detachment of submarines of the Northern Fleet without ascent. For some reason, I have not heard that submariners of any other naval power reported to their command about something similar.
For example, I am surprised why American submariners, who conquered the North Pole on their Nautilus four years earlier than ours, are somehow very noticeably behind in training boat crews for practical operations in the ice. I don’t want to make fun of an American multi-purpose missile frozen in ice nuclear submarine, which suddenly surfaced in the Arctic region (this story not very long ago “rolled” across all Internet networks), because from emergency situations No one is safe at sea. But there is a fact that cannot be ignored. The presence of nuclear missile submarines and the training of personnel to carry out assigned tasks is a key argument in any area of operation and at any time, with which hardly anyone would dare to disagree...
There is nothing to add to the words of the Hero of the Russian Federation. Considering that the Arctic region is very promising, there is no doubt that the confrontation escalated by the United States of America will intensify. But since those overseas are well aware that they are unlikely to be able to win this confrontation in the foreseeable future, they will definitely resort to tried and tested means. This means that we should expect a very powerful portion of information attacks and some next sanctions package against Russia.
The IV International Arctic Forum “The Arctic - Territory of Dialogue” opens in Arkhangelsk. The summit is being held at the highest level - it is planned that the presidents of Russia, Iceland and Finland will take part in it. However, the USA, Canada, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have ambitions related to the development of northern territories. Polar issues are coming to the forefront of the international agenda. Russia is successfully restoring its military infrastructure in the Far North, conducting geological exploration and building new icebreakers. RT looked into how you can outperform your competitors.
- RIA News
Arctic in focus
The Arctic region attracts close attention from world powers - even those that are geographically distant from the North Pole. Every year there is more and more intense international competition for the possession of Arctic resources. Russia is no exception: Moscow is making active efforts to explore and develop the Arctic.
On March 29-30, the IV International Arctic Forum “The Arctic - Territory of Dialogue” will be held in Arkhangelsk. Main topics of the summit - human capital, attracting investment to the North, as well as research activities and ecology. The organizers of the event did not delve into political problems, focusing on socio-economic issues. Much attention was paid to the forum participants, including Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Rogozin, Minister economic development Maxim Oreshkin, Minister of Education Olga Vasilyeva, intend to address questions transport development Arctic, staffing, as well as the creation of northern innovative technologies.
It is expected that the forum will conclude with speeches by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Finnish leader Sauli Niinistö and Icelandic President Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson.
- Reuters
In addition, from March 27 to April 2, the youth educational forum “Arctic. Made in Russia”, in which young scientists whose scientific interests are related to the northern region take part.
The International Arctic Forum in Arkhangelsk will take place about a month before the start of the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental platform of Arctic powers. The Council will be held in May in Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. Representatives from Russia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the USA will take part in it. The Council of Arctic States was founded in 1996 to coordinate the participating countries on environmental issues of the North and solve the socio-economic problems of the region, as well as in the name of preserving the indigenous northern peoples. At the same time, the mandate of the Arctic Council excludes issues of military security.
Fight for ice pie
Soviet scientists and military personnel began active research in the Far North back in the 1920s. March 4, 1920 Presidium of the Supreme Council National economy The RSFSR approved the regulations on the Northern Scientific and Fishing Expedition, which coordinated all Arctic research. In 1925, the expedition was transformed into the Institute for the Study of the North. Subsequently, it received the name All-Union Arctic Institute (currently the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute). In 1932, under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route (Glavsevmorput) was created, whose task was to develop the resources of the Arctic and ensure navigation along the Northern Sea Route. In the 1930s, hydrocarbon deposits were discovered in the Arctic.
According to modern estimates, Arctic oil reserves amount to about 10 billion tons (13% of the world's undiscovered reserves). In addition, there may be about 1,550 trillion cubic meters of natural gas under the Arctic ice.
Hydrocarbons are not the only resource in the Arctic region. There are also reserves of fresh water, the value of which in the world is growing every year. The continental territories of the Far North are rich in minerals - gold, platinum, chromium, manganese.
It is difficult to overestimate the military-strategic importance of the North: it is almost impossible to trace in advance the location of the launch of sea-based missiles from the Arctic. Ice cover prevents space detection equipment from tracking the movement of nuclear submarines. In addition, launching missiles from Arctic regions can significantly reduce the time they take to reach the target.
The main trade routes may soon pass through the North, primarily the Northern Sea Route, which will connect Asia and the Old World. Melting arctic ice due to global warming, it simplifies the task of building and maintaining the Northern Sea Route, in which China and other growing economies in the Asia-Pacific region are keenly interested.
Meanwhile, the international regulatory framework governing relations between states in the Arctic is imperfect. The exact borders of the Arctic states have not yet been determined, and this gives rise to territorial disputes.
Initially, the sectoral approach was dominant, according to which the Arctic is divided between the states adjacent to it along the meridians into sectors, the uppermost of which is the North Pole. The USA and Canada came to such a division of spheres of influence in the first half of the 20th century. The methodology was adopted by other Arctic states.
In 1983, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea was signed in Jamaica, which also applies to the Arctic seas. According to the document, the state’s jurisdiction extends only to the continental shelf; the off-shelf zone is considered international. Russia ratified the document in 1997. You can also count on the shelf if the state manages to prove that it is a continuation of the continental plate on which the applicant country is located.
It is precisely this right that Moscow plans to exercise in relation to the hydrocarbon-rich Lomonosov Ridge region, which stretches across the entire North Pole. In 2001, Russia already submitted an application to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to expand its Arctic shelf, but it was rejected. Over the course of several years, domestic researchers collected new evidence; in 2014, the application was resubmitted. Its consideration was postponed several times, and there has not yet been a final response from the commission.
- Offshore oil platform "Prirazlomnaya"
- RIA News
“Taken together, the transport and logistics potential, mineral resources, and the military factor form the interest of not only the Arctic powers, but also states that are located far from the Arctic,” a member of the Federation Council Committee on Federal Structure and Regional Policy noted in an interview with RT. local government and Northern Affairs Igor Chernyshenko. - Today the world economic system so strong that all countries are involved in large-scale processes. For example, many countries are interested in transport potential Arctic".
At the same time, it is Russia that has the greatest potential for studying and developing the Arctic.
Northern support
The Russian icebreaker fleet currently numbers 40 ships, including nuclear icebreakers. For comparison, the United States currently has only four icebreaking vessels: three from the Coast Guard, one from the National scientific center. Canada has six icebreakers and is preparing to build five more.
Washington also plans to replenish its northern fleet: in March, the US Coast Guard allocated $20 million to design a new generation icebreaker. In addition, contracting companies are encouraged to think about how to reduce the construction time of such vessels. So far, according to preliminary estimates, it may take up to 10 years to build one icebreaker.
Russia is also seeking to strengthen its icebreaker fleet. In particular, in June last year, the world's most powerful nuclear icebreaker, Arktika, was launched. However, the ship was never put into operation due to a failure in the supply of components.
Two serial nuclear icebreakers - Sibir and Ural - should be launched in 2019 and 2020. The ships are being built by the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg on behalf of Rosatomflot. In the future, Rosatom Corporation plans to place an order for the construction of two more nuclear icebreakers.
In addition, the fleet previously received three diesel-electric icebreakers - Vladivostok, Murmansk and Novorossiysk. They were built in the shipyards of the Vyborg Shipyard.
The construction of super-powerful nuclear icebreakers is also provided for in the program for the socio-economic development of the Arctic. It is obvious that it will be very difficult for foreign countries to catch up with the Russian icebreaker fleet in terms of the number of vessels.
- Nuclear icebreaker "50 Let Pobedy" in the Arctic Ocean
Pole defense
In recent years, the Russian Ministry of Defense has been actively restoring abandoned Soviet infrastructure in the Arctic region. It is known that in 2017, the Russian military plans to complete the construction of more than a hundred permanent buildings beyond the Arctic Circle. As of December 2015, six Russian military bases were created in the Arctic - on the islands of Kotelny (New Siberian Islands archipelago), Alexandra Land (Franz Josef Land archipelago), Sredny (Severnaya Zemlya archipelago), as well as in the village of Rogachevo (archipelago New Earth), on Cape Schmidt and Wrangel Island.
The Ministry of Defense expects to cover the Arctic with a radar field to protect against possible cruise missile launches, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces Viktor Gumenny previously reported this. By 2018, it is planned to create self-sufficient northern army groups.
The conditions of the Far North require not only special training of personnel, but also impose special requirements on equipment. The development of special - northern - military vehicles is carried out by the Russian defense complex. In particular, not so long ago the Russian Helicopters holding company released the Mi-8AMTSH-VA (“Terminator”) helicopter - the machine is capable of performing combat missions in northern climatic conditions. In February 2017, testing of the latest models began in the Arctic military equipment, developed specifically for the conditions of the Far North.
Human factor
Let us remind you that budget financing Russian program socio-economic development of the Arctic until 2025 will amount to 209.7 billion rubles. This was reported by TASS with reference to materials from the forum “The Arctic - Territory of Dialogue”. The implementation of the program involves the creation of support zones in the region - projects for long-term integrated development of territories. A total of eight support zones should appear - “Kola”, “Arkhangelsk”, “Nenets”, “Vorkuta”, “Yamalo-Nenets”, “Taimyro-Turukhansk”, “North Yakutsk” and “Chukotka”. For each such zone it is proposed to create its own development strategy. As Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexander Tsybulsky explained earlier in an interview with RIA Novosti, the formation of zones will take place in three stages. In 2017, the concept of each zone will be determined, and by 2020, it is planned to launch pilot projects and create a technological base. And from 2025, the support zones should begin full-fledged work.
These measures are designed to solve the serious problem of population outflow from the northern regions.
According to trade unions, since the 90s, the population of the Komi Republic has decreased by 22%, and the Magadan region - several times. Over the past five years, about 130 thousand people have left the Russian North, and the further north the region is, the more intensively people are leaving. According to the forecast of Arkhangelskstat, by 2020 the population of Pomorie will decrease by 20%; a similar situation is observed in the Murmansk region. Most often, people cite lack of prospects and low wages. At the same time, prices for public utilities and food supplies in the northern regions remain among the highest in the country. Last year, at the initiative of the Russian government, the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk regions were included in the program to attract labor resources.
Experts believe that monetary incentives alone are not enough to attract people to the North: after all, you can earn money in other regions with a more favorable climate. To stop the outflow of personnel, a whole range of measures is needed. This is, first of all, increasing the prestige of the North, as well as improving living conditions and social infrastructure.
Participants of the Arctic Forum will develop state program“Socio-economic development of the Arctic zone Russian Federation for the period until 2020 and beyond,” and will also discuss personnel problems region.
“We have high hopes for the creation of a Murmansk transport hub, which should unite the transport flows of hydrocarbons produced on the shelf. This will affect the number of jobs. In general, the main problem is the low level of wages. There are other reasons. The main problem is the small and medium business does not feel very confident, especially in the north, where he is forced to bear additional costs. But there are many other reasons,” noted Igor Chernyshenko.
“As a development measure, a free port can be created and measures can be taken to stimulate the creation of new jobs. There are many such proposals, but so far they have not been received further development", added Chernyshenko.
Northern Sea Route, hydrocarbon reserves and others natural resources, as well as control over the potential warhead delivery zone - makes the northern latitudes a new front of geopolitical confrontation
In the Ilulissat Declaration of May 28, 2008, all five Arctic coastal states (Russia, the United States, Canada, Norway and Denmark on behalf of Greenland) committed to resolving territorial claims within the framework of international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Declaration confirmed that the legal framework provided by the UN Convention is sufficient for the management of the Arctic Ocean, and there is no need to develop a new international legal regime.
Thus, Arctic waters are recognized as the same as other regions of the globe, with similar rights to the continental shelf, archipelagos, islands, inland seas and corresponding trade-offs associated with the passage of ships through sovereign sea waters.
However, a special regime is provided for navigation along the routes of the Northern Sea Route, since this route is considered as a historically established transport communication of Russia. Swimming is carried out in accordance with special rules established by Russia in accordance with Article 234 of the Convention. Consequently, Russia has all the advantages in operating this direction. Obviously, because of this, attempts to revise some provisions of the Convention by a number of states continue and, moreover, even proposals are made to privatize the seas! This idea comes from the world center of globalism - the Council international relations, whose headquarters are in New York and Washington. He supports his conclusions with expert articles in the publication “Foreign Affairs” and its subsidiaries (by the way, in Russia such an “educational” hand of this Council is the publication “Russia in Global Affairs”).
In addition, despite the established norms, a number of countries continue to dispute their right to certain areas in the Arctic latitudes. The most famous, due to its vast territory, is the Lomonosov Ridge, discovered in 1948 by Soviet expeditions. Russia has repeatedly submitted applications to the UN Commission on the Outer Limits of the Shelf. Proposed to establish new boundaries of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation based on studies of the ridgesLomonosov And Mendeleev, but the Commission in 2002 only recommended further research, which spurred other countries to fight to expand their own economic zone.
Denmark was the first to join the Arctic struggle in 2004, starting research in the North Atlantic. Obviously, the goal of the Danish expeditions was to obtain evidence that the Lomonosov Ridge belongs to Greenland.
However, in 2007, Russia conducted new research that gave grounds to assert that the disputed ridge is a continuation of the Russian continental shelf.
But the alliance of Western countries was not going to give up. Canada entered the arena, spending approximately $200 million on related research until 2013. Since the Lomonosov Ridge stretches to the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Canada, contrary to the facts, made a statement that the ridge belongs to its territory. Naturally, both countries do not recognize each other’s claims and intend to continue to challenge their rights at the UN.
The reason for such passionate interest in the polar latitudes is the rich natural resources of the Arctic. The USGS estimated in 2008 that 13% of the world's undiscovered oil reserves and 30% of the world's undiscovered natural gas reserves are located above the Arctic Circle. Considering the growing energy hunger of industrialized countries, one can understand such great zeal in the development of hydrocarbon resources. In addition, industrial fishing of fish and other marine life is also an additional factor in the reshaping of marine spaces.
But to justify your right to territory (water area) you need powerful arguments. Russia will receive them in two ways. The first is scientific. As already mentioned, expeditions were sent to the region several times. And for the summer of 2014, voyages of Russian ships to the Earth region are plannedFranz Joseph, Severnaya Zemlya, to the New Siberian Islands and the islandWrangel. The second way is the most effective, but with likely criticism from other countries. This is military power. It is no coincidence that the Arctic Group of Armed Forces was created in Russia and maneuvers with landings in critically low temperature conditions have already been carried out.
Among other things, the most convenient route from Europe to Asia runs through the Arctic.
The distance traveled by ships from Murmansk to the Japanese port of Yokohama via the Suez Canal is 12,840 nautical miles, while along the Northern Sea Route it is half as long - 5,770 nautical miles! And this significantly reduces all transportation costs.
In 2012, 46 ships passed along the Northern Sea Route, which runs along the northern coast of Russia. These ships transported a total of 1.3 million tons of cargo. In 2011, 34 ships transported approximately 820,000 tons. And in March 2013, Russia created the Northern Sea Route Administration. The most potential client of the new route is China. By the way, China has its own icebreaker, although this country does not have access to cold seas.
It is obvious that we cannot do without a special fleet. Baltzavod, according to a recently held competition, won the right to build two icebreakers. The ships must be completed by December 25, 2019 and December 25, 2020, respectively. The price of the government contract is about 84.4 billion rubles. One nuclear icebreaker LK-60 is already in the process of production and should be delivered in 2017. It will become the largest and most powerful in the world. The width of the hull will be 34 meters (the previous “Arctic” class had 30 meters), it alone (which is why it is called the head one) will be able to guide tankers with a displacement of up to 70 thousand tons along the Northern Sea Route.
With regard to the Arctic, many states have developed their own strategy. Some of them work in the alliance, such as NATO members Norway, Canada and the United States, they coordinate their activities in relation to the region in question. And these states have recently adopted a number of documents - from doctrines to an action plan, called in these countries a “road map”.
The developments of the military departments seem extremely interesting. Barack Obama On May 10, 2013, he approved the National Strategy in the Arctic Region, which articulates the connections between events in the Arctic and the sustainable national interests of the United States. Prior to this, the National Presidential Insurance Directive was issued (2009), the second name of which is the National Presidential Security Directive. US Secretary of DefenseChuck Heigelin the preface to the defense doctrine (published at the end of 2013) indicates that “The Arctic is at a critical juncture in its transformation from a relatively isolated area to one where receding ice allows increased human access... The Arctic is becoming increasingly important and, regardless of the level and scale of change, we must be prepared to contribute to national efforts in pursuit of strategic goals V this region " Thus, the US military strategy in the Arctic is to create a secure and stable area where American national interests are guaranteed and countries work together to resolve problems that arise.
Interests and problems are the key words of this doctrine. It is obvious that by ensuring its interests, the United States understands the violation of the interests of other countries, and the “problems” are directly related to the response to these violations, primarily from Russia.
The Pentagon Strategy states that "national security interests include issues such as missile defense and long-range detection; deployment of sea and air systems for strategic maritime lift, strategic deterrence, maritime presence and maritime security operations; and ensuring freedom of navigation. By preserving freedom of navigation in the Arctic, which includes all rights, freedoms, and use of the seas and adjacent airspace, including freedom of navigation and overflight, the national ability to exercise these rights, freedoms, and use of seas and airspace throughout the world, including strategic straits, is supported." A challenge to Russia is already visible here, because what is strategic deterrence in the Arctic region?
This is the deployment of interceptor missiles, as well as combined forces to deliver a quick strike against the Russian Federation. The containment strategy is well known from the Cold War, when the United States created an “Anaconda ring” around the USSR, placing its military bases along the perimeter of the Soviet borders. It is also clear that the Arctic direction is the shortest route for delivering warheads from Russia to the United States and vice versa. By the way, in the doctrine signed Obama talks about " an Arctic region that is stable and free of conflict, where countries act responsibly in a spirit of trust and cooperation, and where economic and energy resources are developed in a sustainable way that also respects the fragile environment, interests and culture of local peoples».
The military-strategic concept of Canada is also extremely interesting, which acts as the de facto conductor of the interests of the United States and NATO in the region, but still enters into dispute on some points.
In January 2014, the Foreign and Defense Institute of Canada prepared a directive on the Arctic issue, which highlighted the main problems that will have to be faced. The first is the balance between ecology and oil production. According to the directive, Canada intends to counter the inevitable environmental protests that will be organized against any exploratory drilling in Canadian waters. On the other hand, the document reflects the need to maintain a balance regarding environmental protection.
It should be noted that Canada produces shale oil in its area of responsibility, which is dangerous for the environment, unlike the traditional production used by Russia. By the way, the report notes that the United States strongly opposed the creation of an Arctic strategy for environmental protection, which preceded the creation of the Arctic Council, while Canada, on the contrary, advocated the concept of creating and organizing a politically more powerful international legal entity, which could work both on environmental issues and other issues facing the circumpolar region.
In the analysis of potential conflicts between environmentalists and states, and was noted.At the same time, the authors of the Canadian document write that in connection with claims against Russia, the fact that the Danish Navy was required to use force to arrest Greenpeace protesters when they landed on an oil platform near west coast Greenland in 2011
« The protesters, using tactics that were identical to those used against the Russians, protested against oil exploration in the waters surrounding Greenland. Two Greenpeace members who landed on the oil rig were accused of trespassing and violating the restricted area around the rig. They were fined DKK 20,000 and expelled from Greenland and banned from re-entering the country for one year. In both cases (Russian and Greenlandic) armed special forces captured and arrested people", - stated in the directive.
Ultimately, Russia, Canada and the United States will use troops to protect their rights to resources in the Arctic region. It seems unlikely to Canadians that the Arctic Council will be able to solve the problem of oil development in the Arctic.
By the way, the Arctic Council is one of the supranational bodies that oversees the Arctic region. It was created in 1996 by countries with territories beyond the Arctic Circle - the USA, Canada, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The main purpose of this structure is to protect the environment and conduct relevant research by these countries. In May 2013, at a ministerial meeting in Sweden, the Arctic Council granted six new countries (China, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Singapore) observer status, which indicates increased interest in this body and the region on the part of many states. Which is understandable: the Arctic is a tasty morsel, rich in oil and gas.
On August 1, 2007, two Russian underwater vehicles"Mir-1" and "Mir-2" dived near the northernmost point of our planet - the North Pole. At a depth of more than four kilometers, Russian submariners planted the Russian national flag, made of heavy-duty materials. The progress of the expedition was widely and in detail covered by the central Russian media, the installation of the flag was broadcast on live, and at home the polar explorers were greeted as heroes.
This political action in the spirit of the 16th or 17th centuries caused the expected negative reaction from states with interests in the Arctic region. A representative of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for example, said that the days when it was possible to stake out a territory by planting a national flag on it are long gone.
In recent years, confrontation in the Arctic has intensified significantly. There are several reasons for this, the main one being the uncertain status of borders in this region, as well as its strategic importance. Some experts are even frightening about the inevitable armed conflicts that could break out when dividing the “Arctic pie” in the future. Nowadays, not only the states bordering this region, but also China and India, countries located far from the eternal Arctic ice, are showing interest in the Arctic.
The Arctic occupies a significant place in modern Russian foreign and domestic policy. Several state programs for the development of this region have been adopted; infrastructure facilities abandoned after the collapse of the USSR are being restored. This finds warm support in Russian society; strengthening its presence in the Arctic is presented by the authorities as proof of the strengthening of the country’s power. Is it so? Does Russia need the Arctic, and what are the current geopolitical alignments in this region? What's at stake?
Arctic: why the fuss
The modern world is developing rapidly, countries that were considered outsiders just a few decades ago are now becoming leaders. For the economy to develop, resources are needed, which are becoming increasingly scarce.
This is one of the main reasons for the increased interest in the Arctic region. So far, no one knows exactly how much wealth the Arctic stores. According to estimates by the US Department of Energy, up to 13% of undiscovered oil reserves and a large number of gas fields are located under the icy waters. In addition to hydrocarbons, the Arctic has significant reserves of nickel ores, platinum group metals, rare earth metals, tin, tungsten, gold and diamonds.
IN modern world It’s not just the raw materials that are valuable; the communications through which they are delivered are no less important. There are two major transoceanic routes in the Arctic: the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and the Northwest Passage, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Both resources and potentially important communications have always existed, but the intensification of the struggle for the Arctic began no more than ten years ago. What is the reason?
The richness of the Arctic latitudes is almost completely neutralized by the climatic conditions of this region. The nature of the Arctic is extremely hostile to humans. Most The Northern Sea Route is covered with ice. The cost of mining is so high that the development of most deposits is currently not profitable.
We should also not forget that the North Pole is the shortest route for the delivery of nuclear weapons in the event of a global conflict. It was for this reason that the USSR maintained numerous military bases and airfields in the Arctic latitudes. For the Russian Navy, it is the Northern Sea Route that provides free access to the World Ocean.
Russia is increasingly vocal about its claims to the Arctic region, increasing its military potential in the area. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the status of the Arctic is largely unsettled and has serious gaps.
Who lays claim to the Arctic?
According to international law, each country has the right to use underwater resources within 200 miles of its coast. However, there is a UN convention that states that if a country can prove that the ocean shelf is a continuation of its continental platform, then it will be considered its property.
Russia believes that the underwater Lomonosov Ridge is a continuation of the Siberian Platform. In this case, 1.2 million square meters fall under Russian jurisdiction. km of shelf with huge hydrocarbon reserves.
It is clear that such activity of Russia in redistributing borders in the region does not cause delight among other Arctic states. Today the Arctic Council includes 8 states:
- Iceland;
- Denmark;
- Sweden;
- Canada;
- Norway;
- Russia;
- Finland.
There are also several observer countries: China, India, Great Britain, Poland, Spain and others.
Council member countries interpret international legislation completely differently; they themselves lay claim to vast areas of the Arctic shelf. Canada, for example, believes that the Lomonosov Ridge is a continuation of its territory and promises to prove this fact to the UN. Norway also lays claim to the Lomonosov Ridge, having already achieved the transfer of part of the shelf under its jurisdiction.
The United States considers the shelf area near Alaska its own and is also collecting evidence. But due to the small area of the US territory, which borders the Arctic, there is little “shine” for the Americans, so they usually advocate the collective use of the region’s resources: this would open up access to them for American TNCs.
The demand that unites almost all members of the Arctic Council (except Russia, of course) is international control over the Northern Sea Route.
Currently, Canada, the USA, Norway and Russia have adopted state programs for the development of the Arctic. Approaches to the division and development of the region among the member countries of the Arctic Council are largely contradictory.
China has begun to show increased attention to the Arctic. This country is an observer in the Arctic Council, and in 2013, China adopted a state program for the development of the region. It provides for the construction of its own significant icebreaker fleet. Since 1994, the Chinese icebreaker “Snow Dragon” has been plying the northern seas; this ship has several passages along the NSR.
Military threats and tasks of the Russian Armed Forces
During the Cold War, the shortest route was established through the North Pole for nuclear strikes on Soviet territory by US strategic aircraft. A little later, the flight routes of American ICBMs and SLBMs passed here. In response, the USSR created infrastructure in the northern latitudes to counter American plans and to deploy its own strategic potential.
Units were stationed here radio technical troops, air defense troops, refueling airfields strategic bombers. Special attention was given to air defense aviation, which was supposed to destroy American “strategists” at distant approaches.
After the collapse of the USSR, the Arctic group collapsed. What happened to the military in the North cannot be called anything other than flight: units were disbanded, airfields were abandoned, equipment was abandoned.
Russia has created six military bases, 13 airfields and 16 deep-sea ports. In 2019, the construction of infrastructure should be completed, as well as the supply of equipment and personnel to the bases. In the Arctic, Russia has deployed S-400 air defense systems, as well as Bastion anti-ship missiles. This year, large-scale Russian aviation exercises will take place in the Arctic.
The vast expanses of the Russian north clearly require military protection.
Combat operations in this region will be conducted not only against the enemy; man will also have to fight against hostile nature. It is unlikely that large ground units can be used here; combat operations will mainly be carried out by submarines and aircraft. Unmanned aerial vehicles can be especially useful in regional conditions.
NSR and mining
The Arctic is indeed rich, but the time has not yet come for most of these riches. The cost of hydrocarbon production in this region is very high and is not profitable at current oil prices. It is much more profitable to extract shale oil and gas than to drill wells among floating ice and the polar night.
A clear illustration of this is the fate of the Shtokman gas condensate field in the Barents Sea. It is not just large, but one of the largest in the world (3.9 trillion cubic meters of gas). Foreign investors showed great interest in this deposit, during high prices for energy resources, the Russian authorities were in no hurry to choose partners. However, with the beginning of the shale era, gas prices collapsed, and it became simply unprofitable to develop Shtokman. Today, work at this field has been suspended.
Russia does not have the technology to produce oil and gas in Arctic conditions; their transfer came under sanctions after Crimea and Donbass. Moreover, hard state control and the monopoly position of several Russian companies(Gazprom and Rosneft) are not very popular with foreign investors.
Another aspect associated with mining in the Arctic is environmental. The nature of this region is very vulnerable and takes a very long time to recover. Environmentalists and various “green” organizations have sharply criticized plans for oil and gas production in the Arctic.
The situation around the Northern Sea Route is no less ambiguous. Theoretically, it is very profitable, as it shortens the route from China to Europe. If you sail through the Suez Canal, the route will be 2.4 thousand nautical miles longer. The route around Africa will add another 4 thousand miles.
Last year, an additional channel of the Suez Canal was opened, which will increase transit to 400 million tons per year. The cost of the work amounted to $4.2 billion. Russia planned to increase the volume of transportation along the Northern Sea Route to 60 million tons by 2020, spending at least $34 billion on this (until 2019). Moreover, even such plans already seem fantastic: in 2014, only 274 thousand tons were transported along the NSR, and not a single one of the planned ships was launched.
The enormous volume of traffic along the “southern” routes is explained by the fact that most of the largest seaports are located there. More than half of the traffic is provided not by transportation from China to Europe, but by cargo traffic between these ports. Most ports on the NSR have scanty cargo traffic or do not function at all.
The Arctic is indeed rich, but in order to develop these riches it is necessary to invest huge amounts of money, which Russia does not currently have at its disposal. We need to attract foreign investors (primarily Western ones), it is from them that we can get necessary technologies. To implement projects related to the Northern Sea Route, it is also necessary for foreign capital to enter the infrastructure of Russian northern ports, but today this task is impossible.
The problem of the development of the Russian Arctic is a gigantic task that requires the involvement of large quantity resources: financial, technological and managerial. Unfortunately, it is hardly within the capabilities of the current Russian elite.
Video about the confrontation in the Arctic
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IN Lately world community and funds mass media They especially focus attention on the growing importance of the Russian Arctic as a resource base, a major transport artery and a strategically important springboard for the defense of the northern borders of our Motherland. Moreover, there has been renewed discussion about the strategic importance of the Arctic for Russia, both in terms of socio-economic development and for expanding global geopolitical influence.
The main emphasis is on three components of the significance of the Arctic:
- firstly, natural resources, especially colossal oil and gas reserves;
- secondly, the attractiveness of the Northern Sea Route, which is the shortest, and in the future, convenient and reliable transport artery connecting Europe with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region;
- thirdly, the military importance of the Arctic, due, among other things, to the potential “encroachments” of other countries on Russia’s interests in the region.
The development of enormous energy resources, accounting for approximately a third of our planet's reserves, as well as the predicted warming in the Arctic, have given rise to a particularly dynamic intensification of economic, political and economic developments.
Claims of countries to the Arctic shelf
Until recently, the main focus of world economic, political and military interests was the Middle East. Today, experts reasonably believe that this paradigm, which has remained unchanged for many decades, will be replaced by another in the near future - the focus of world attention is objectively shifting to the Arctic, which is what we are seeing today.
The Russian North serves not only as a rich storehouse of mineral resources, but also performs other functions: defense, environmental, and recreational.
The conducted studies show that geopolitical and other factors that influence the development of the Arctic are distributed as follows:
- geographical, 30%;
- military, 21%;
- economic, 18%;
- environmental, 10%;
- political, 5%;
- demographic, 5%;
- intellectual, 5%;
- cultural-religious, 3%;
- ethnic, 3%.
Each of these relatively independent factors must be taken into account when forming a long-term development policy for the Arctic region.
Following the justified transformation of the Arctic into the most important region of the world ecology, economy and politics, its accelerated militarization imposed by the West naturally follows. This is objective reality. Moreover, the struggle for resources and unique transport capabilities of the polar region are turning it into the central geopolitical arena of the 21st century.
Today, more than ever, . It is appropriate to recall that historically the struggle for the North dates back many hundreds of years, almost from the moment of the greatest discoveries of Russian navigators. Throughout our history, the West has sought to oust Russia from its ancestral northern territories. The present period is no exception. Today, the intensity of the struggle for the Russian North is especially high, and the price of its loss is even higher.
The geopolitical and military-strategic role of the North has always been decisive due to the large length of the Arctic sections of the borders between the countries of the region. Moreover, the Arctic acts as a kind of buffer between the main world centers: the USA, Western Europe, Russia, Japan, China. Currently, due to global changes in the structure of world politics and economics, the finally formed aggressive goals of NATO in relation to the North, there is a need to seriously rethink the role and place of Arctic zone both in the Russian defense system and in the strategy for its further development.
Recently, the Arctic has been experiencing unprecedented military expansion by NATO, and its militarization is becoming the most important strategy of the alliance and one of the fundamental factors in the distribution of forces in the region. Taking into account its emerging militarization, many analysts view the situation in the Arctic as “the last redistribution of the world.” The struggle for mineral resources and transport routes, disagreements on fundamental territorial issues, as well as militarization and global warming, especially in the North, are turning the struggle for the Arctic into an important element of world geopolitics, as well as into a complex multifactor game in which the military component emerges more and more more clearly.
According to one of the high-ranking officials of the alliance, the Arctic has been declared a strategically important object for NATO. We quote: “This region is of long-term strategic interest for NATO, as well as for the security of allies.”
It should also be especially noted that long-term plans NATO and international claims to reserves of primary resources in the Arctic are gradually becoming the main topics of discussion between various states of the alliance and individual invited countries.
Today, there is no doubt about the active participation of European countries in the militarization of the Arctic, which is becoming the most important element their foreign policy.
Recently, military exercises in the Arctic have intensified, with up to 10 states participating annually. Over the past 5 years alone, the military contingent of the Western Arctic countries has increased tenfold.
Even China, which is far from the Arctic, has not remained aloof from the growing interest of the world community in the natural resources of the Arctic and wants to have its share in the region. In Chinese official version, Beijing plans to expand scientific research into the planet's polar regions. At the same time, the Chinese leadership demonstratively emphasizes that the development of the Arctic corresponds to the geopolitical interests of the country.
It can be unequivocally stated that at present the Arctic, which once played the role of a buffer between the main world centers - the USA, Western Europe, Russia, Japan and China - is becoming a testing ground for a large military-strategic game. All this rightfully brings the Arctic vector of Russian geopolitics to the forefront.
Consequently, the Arctic region, in the near future, may become a real “battlefield” between the West, Russia and China. It should be taken into account that countries such as Japan and South Korea are also showing interest in the region.
Thus, the Arctic does not have long to remain a kind of “terra incognito” - a common region and no one’s. Today the question is: either us or NATO.
Transport capabilities and potential reserves of Arctic resources lead to the fact that a military presence in order to control and protect the national interests of interested countries becomes an objective reality in the region.
In order to properly manage this wealth, turn it into capital sufficient for the development of the country in the coming century, or at least not lose it, Russia needs to build the entire state vertical, ensuring pragmatically tough, future-oriented development of a full-fledged life on these territories. We must all clearly proceed from the fact that the exploration and development of the North is one of the current main problems in ensuring national security. Building a policy based on the idea of priority for Russia in developing life in the North may come into play the most important means setting goals for national development and national consolidation.
The initial and at the same time the most important task in developing the riches of the Russian Arctic is the scientifically based establishment of its legal boundaries, which must be recognized by the world community. The creation of socio-economic conditions for the implementation of an innovative economy in the North is undoubtedly the result of the activities human resources of varying quality.
For modern Russia The North should be considered as an objective opportunity for demographic growth in the coming century.
So far, the Russian North does not have the resources for its initial development or even for basic provision of our presence in the region.
Increasing the importance of human resources as a leading factor in solving problems of development of the northern region and socio-economic transformations in the life of the population of the North requires a revision of approaches and traditional structure social policy carried out against its indigenous population.
The historical and cultural value of the North is no less obvious than its natural value. The way of life, the languages of the peoples of the North, their cultural heritage are an important layer of the entire world culture.
It is necessary to direct the efforts of the state to create and improve the legal framework in the field of protecting the rights and traditional way of life of the small peoples of the North, as well as to create sound financial instruments in the shortest possible time state support their socio-economic development. In this case, special attention should be paid to the development of special benefits, subsidies, and quotas for the use of biological resources. We must do everything possible to return the northern peoples to their historical homeland, and also develop comprehensive program preserving their most valuable cultural heritage, traditional way of life, language and religion. It is important to intensify the work of the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, directing its activities to ensure the growth of the ethnic self-awareness of its peoples.
The development policy of the Arctic region should have ultimate goal creation of qualified labor resources, highly educated engineering, technical, scientific and teaching personnel, along with the formation of a developed industrial complex based on unique natural resource potential. At the same time, care should be taken to treat the rich ethnocultural heritage of the indigenous peoples of the North.
The fact that today the influence of a number of countries and international organizations on representatives of indigenous peoples of the North, whose rights and social security require increased attention from the state. Using the dissatisfaction of representatives of northern nationalities with their situation, foreign emissaries are trying to act as their defenders, separatism is fueled, including on a national basis. The demand to ensure the right of indigenous people to ancestral lands and natural resources used for subsistence purposes is one of the points of potential tension in the global north.
The North is rightfully considered a natural and very powerful ecological-geographical obstacle to the emerging and ever-increasing environmental degradation of the planet. No less important is the fact that the North, by and large, shapes the Earth's climate. We must clearly understand that the discovery of new deposits, public administration extraction of primary natural resources can and should today become an extremely effective and high-status type of Russian influence on the global circulation of primary natural energy resources, a kind of economic weapon and even a powerful means of pressure and influence of our state on world politics. Considering the pronounced resource orientation of our modern economy, the extraction and supply of minerals from the northern territories to world markets must be managed skillfully and flexibly.
The North can become a testing ground for testing and introducing fundamentally new universal social and humanitarian technologies and technological platforms.
Energy supply for maritime activities in the Arctic is of key importance for all types of exploration and development of this important region, primarily for the most energy-intensive - maritime cargo transportation and development of the Arctic shelf. At the same time, the presence of nuclear icebreakers was, is and in the future will be the most important guarantor of solving such a problem.
Promising in the coming years for use in the ice conditions of the Arctic is the use of ice-resistant gravity or other drilling platforms.
When forming the main aspects of northern policy, we must take into account that given the existing scale and trends in global oil and gas production, taking into account the sharp expansion of the capacity of the Asian market, the resources of the Barents and Kara Seas can become an important factor in ensuring the balance of the European market and maintaining the required level of energy security of Russia.
One of the key problems in the North is the protection of Russia’s national interests in maritime communications in international waters. The rules of law here must be supported by the active military presence of our country, which is dictated not only by contradictions at the interstate level, but also by the intensification of international terrorism at sea.
It is obvious that the implementation of state policy in this region will be carried out in stages.
Initially it is necessary to provide and complete:
- carrying out geological, geophysical, hydrographic, cartographic and other work to prepare materials to substantiate the external border of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation;
- expanding opportunities for international cooperation, including for the effective development of natural resources in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation;
- implementation of targeted programs financed from budgets of various levels budget system RF and extrabudgetary sources, including the formation of a state program for the development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation for the period until 2020, within the framework of which high-tech production and energy and production and fishery clusters and special economic zones are created as basic ones;
- implementation of promising investment projects within the framework of public-private partnerships related to strategic development Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.
Subsequently, it must be ensured:
- international legal registration of the external border of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and implementation on this basis competitive advantages Russia for the extraction and transportation of primary energy resources;
- solving the problems of structural restructuring of the economy in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation based on the development of the mineral resource base and aquatic biological resources of the region;
- creation and development of infrastructure and communications management system of the northern sea route to solve the problems of ensuring Eurasian transit;
- creation of a unified information space of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.
The final stage is the transformation of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation into the country's leading strategic resource base.
In general, Russia needs a reasonable long-term nationally oriented northern policy as the most important factor in ensuring its national security.
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