Arctic Russia

billions of roubles for russian arctic continental shelf

Despite the recent doubts as to the economic prospects for the Shtokman project, which this blog will follow as best as it can, техноПрогресс has reported that 1.3 billions roubles has been allocated for hydrographic and geophysical studies into what it calls, ‘обоснования внешней границы континентального шельфа РФ в Северном Ледовитом океане’ – i.e., ‘a substantiation of the external borders of the continental shelf of the Russian Federation in the Arctic Ocean.’  The purpose of this is ‘геологическому обеспечению геополитических интересов РФ Антарктике’ – i.e., the maintenance of the geopolitical interests of the Russian Federation in the Arctic.’  The report repeats the claims that Russia believes the Lomonsov and Mendeleev ridges to be an extension of eastern Siberia and that the aim is to secure rights to an estimated 5 billion tons of fuel.

I wonder if this will be a matter for the G7’s informal conversations in Iqaluit.