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“We will not supply gas, oil, coal, heating oil – we do not supply anything,” Putin said.
Sergey Karpukhin | AFP | Gets the image
Russia has long been the geopolitical kingdom of the Arctic, with deeply built -in military, commercial and strategic investments in the region.
But now that the United States and NATO are paying attention to the Arctic for geo -economic and safe considerations, Moscow refers to a new interest in the West.
This may be expected, given the territorial share of Russia in the region: Russia covers 53% (or more than 22,990 miles) coast of the Arctic Ocean, and about 146 million people, 2.5 million Russians live and work there, reports there, reports Arctic InstituteCenter for Circular Safety Research.
For the locals – and wider Russian economy – strategic engines of jobs, investments and growth include industries, gas and minerals, fisheries, infrastructure and transport logistics, especially related to the North Sea route, the main way to ship Arctic for Russia between Europe and Asia.
In addition, Russia supports its maritime nuclear remedy in the Arctic and has a number of military bases and airfields, as well as a specialized fleet of ice switches to facilitate trade, transport and resources in the territory.
That is why Russia is closely monitoring when US President Donald Trump says he is going to take over the Arctic Greenland Island resource, or when NATO is conducting Arctic military games.
“NATO countries are increasingly appointed north of the planning for possible conflicts,” Russian President Vladimir Putin commented when military exercises in Norway, which participated in NATO from nine union countries in Norway.
Exercises have been developed, said NATO to hone their skills, military opportunities and cooperation For an extraordinary cold weather.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visits a nuclear submarine base on March 26, 2025 in Murmansk, Russia. Putin was on a daily trip to Murmansk.
Author | Getty Images | Gets the image
Putin was not convinced that it was “obvious that the role and importance of the Arctic for both Russia and the world will grow. But, unfortunately, geopolitical competition, the struggle for positions in the region is also increased.”
Shortly after the NATO exercises, the northern fleet of Russia (instructed to defend the Arctic seas along Northern Russia, including Barans -Mora and Karamor), the Arctic with the participation of 20 ships and about 1500 staff began exercises – Russian news agency Interfax reports.
CNBC contacted the Kremlin for further comment and is waiting for the answer.
Russia that protects the interests
Russia seeks to aggressively expand its economic interests in the Arctic, and the region promotes considerable value to the economy.
“Today, Arctic already produces 7.5% of Russia’s gross domestic product and more than 11% of its exports,” said Alexei Chekankovsky last week, Russian Development Minister of the Far East and Arctica, comments in comments Rossiyskay Gazeta reportsand in Google.
Russia “carried out global investment projects in the Arctic and developed the world’s largest network of Arctic cities,” he added.
“As the projects that have already begun, the importance of the Arctic in the Russian economy, logistics and security will only increase,” said Chekunkov, noting that “it is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Northern sea route, which provides 40% of the shorter way between Europe and Asia.”
The Prirazlomnaya offshore ice platform is considered in Pecora Sea, Russia.
Sergei Anisimov | Agency Anadolu | Gets the image
International sanctions aimed at deteriorating the Russian oil and gas sector after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 Arctic SPG project 2 and Mega -naft project planned by Vostok Oil Western sanctions were affected among the main infrastructure projects.
Russia looked out of the sanctions, using the so -called “shadow fleet” of courts and tankers to export their oil and gas supplies to customers who are still ready to purchase them, while the Western allies of Ukraine play catch -ups to try to close the shit that allowed Moscow to do so.
Marie-Anne Coninsx, Former Eu Ambassador for the Arctic, Told CNBC Wednesday that the arctic was “of Crucial Strategic Interest for Russia, Economically and (In Terms of) Security. Because of the Energy Resources, and the use of the Northern Sea Route is an enormous income for Russia “,” she said “Squawk Box Europe” CNBC.
“The sanctions have an effect, but they should go on because it touches on the Russian economy, but there is another aspect of security because the Russians know that its nuclear powers are in the Arctic, and this is a serious threat to Europe,” she said.
West plays in the contract?
One of the problems for the Arctic strategy of Europe and NATO is that it plays only compared to long -standing Russia in the development of its Arctic territory.
Russia has started reinvesting in the Arctic affairs in the mid-2000s, according to the analysts of the European Analysis Center (CEPA), adding that “the Kremlin remains unwavering in approval of the complete control of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation” because it seems to defend vital interests in the North Sea.
Unlike this, the updated West’s interest in the Arctic is largely caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“As long as (this), I would say that there was no real awareness of NATO about the threat of security, and it is neglected by its northern flank,” the EU Ambassador said in Arctic Connesse.
“But because of the invasion of Russia in Ukraine, and, in particular, thanks to the new membership (in the Alliance) of Sweden and Finland, in Northern Europe in Northern Europe there is an increase in security forces … And for the European Union it has become more important for geo-economic and geopolitical security.”
The Arctic “becomes the center of world attention” also for “geo -economic reasons” – including the fact that climate change meant the abundance of natural resources and critical minerals in the Arctic, were now more accessible, and there are more opportunities along the North Sea route.
“Therefore, there is an increased interest in large geopolitical players not only from the US, but also because of the Arctic states such as China,” she said.
The US Marines in military cars are depicted when they participate in military exercises called “Cold 2022”, gathering about 30,000 NATO troops, as well as Finland and Sweden, against the backdrop of Russia in Ukraine, near Birdka in Arctic.
Yves Herman | Reuters
The US interest in the Arctic was also restored by the Trump administration, and the president promised to take on Greenland potentially with military force. Which did not go well either in Greenland nor in Denmark nor in Europewith a broad condemnation of the presidential posture on this issue.
I wonder Russia seemed to take a more sanguine position on Trump’s interestSaying that this is closely following the events.
Looking closely at using your own experience in the “Far North” around the Arctic Circle and perhaps climb with Trump, Bloomberg reported in February The fact that Moscow was interested in developing joint projects from the United States around the production of natural resources and transportation in the Arctic.
CNBC asked the Kremlin and the White House to comment on the report and waits for an answer.
