News & Views on the Russian presence within the Arctic Circle
30 July 2009
Under the title ‘The Warming Arctic Ice’ Ореанда.ru carried an analytical piece. After some interesting discussion on the military capacities of the smaller Scandinavian states, and some comment on the military superiority of the West, the author concludes with the remark – ‘Поэтому все спорные вопросы пока ещё можно... Read More...
29 July 2009
Komikz.ru reported that a meeting in September organised by the NATO-Russia scientific council will take place to discuss risk management for the petrochemical industry in the Arctic region, including the Barents Sea. The meeting is organized by the European Union and the Arctic Council. Read More →
28 July 2009
A number of agencies reported on plans to send next year Russian paratroopers to the north pole to commemorate various anniversaries. The event will be co-organised with ‘ Артуром Чилингаровым’, i.e., Artur Chilingarov. Vladimir Shamanov is reported as stating that the intention is not to sabre rattle – ‘не собираемся там бряцать... Read More...
28 July 2009
ДНИ.ru reports on Obama’s decision to de-classify a number of satellite photgraphs taken of the shrinking Arctic ice. (The photographs can be viewed here, and contradict the predictions made here, and discussed here). Read More →
25 July 2009
That concept of борьба - struggle – arises again, with its connotations of conflict as Независимя reports that Putin and Ivanov have attended the occasion of the commissioning of the Arctic ice-breaker St Petersburg. Officials are reported as stating that the Arctic is a state priority – ‘приоритетов государственной политики’. ... Read More...
23 July 2009
According to a report on Северинформ, Vadim Treskina, has claimed that ‘”горячей” войне” – ‘hot war’ – is unlikely in the Arctic. The first reason described in the report for this claim is that there will be a cooling of the Arctic in the near future – ‘новое малое похолодание’. ... Read More...
23 July 2009
A number of agencies reported today on a joint USA-Canadian expedition in the Arctic into the extension of the continental shelf, which will last until September and which is to assist the determination of the two country’s maritime boundaries under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The expedition will explore up to the Mendeleev ridge, which Russia claims as the... Read More...
21 July 2009
Regnum.ru reports the remarks of Professor Yuri Lukin of the Pomorsky State University, that are a response to the remarks of Simonov also made at a conference on Russia, NATO and the European Security Architecture. Lukin presents a more sanguine picture of the international situation in the Arctic. He makes a number of points: that climate change is a long-term prospect, that massive... Read More...
17 July 2009
In one of the more alarming scenarios regarding the consequences of global warming, Vladimir Melnikov, Academician, from the Siberian branch of the Russian Academicy of Sciences, warned, in the Agency for Oil and Gas Information, that the permafrost contains compounds of pathogenic bacteria as thick as rocks. On a more positive note, he is reported as saying that the ice is a good source... Read More...
16 July 2009
Regnum reported the remarks of the Director for the Fund for National Energy Security which were made at a conference in St. Petersburg. He thinks that are two possibilities: outright military collision or a struggle for the energy resources of the region which, it is estimated, are around 1/6th of that which exists currently in Saudi Arabia. The Director cites Canadian and American moves... Read More...
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