Politics
Arctic-Superpower Jostling Heats Up as Russia Takes on Key Role
Russia’s Sergei Lavrov claimed this week that “this is our land and our waters” as NATO allies boost military activity
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A battle of words between top Russian and U.S. diplomats this week is the latest sign of rising tensions between superpowers racing to seize Arctic resources made more accessible by climate change.
Ministers gathering in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik for a meeting of the Arctic Council weren’t due to discuss security. But the issue dominated conversations on the sidelines after Russia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov declared ahead of the summit that the Arctic “is our land and our waters.”