Category: Arctic
RUSSIALINK: “New Arctic Temperature Record Sounds Climate Alarm – UN” – Moscow Times
The Arctic region is heating 2.5 times faster than the planet …. Extreme heat waves and other weather events are being recorded with increasing frequency […]
» Read moreChina’s Arctic Ambitions Could Make or Break U.S.-Russian Relations in the Region
(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org – Ingrid Burke Friedman – Dec. 1, 2021) Ingrid Burke Friedman is a fellow at Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and Features Editor at JURIST Legal News & Commentary. She previously served as a consular officer with the U.S. State Department. While U.S.-Russian relations continue to deteriorate in many spheres, the Arctic […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Arctic Could See More Rain Than Snow By 2060 as Region Warms – Study” – Moscow Times
The Arctic region could see a faster-than-predicted shift from snow to rain as its main form of precipitation if global carbon emissions are not drastically cut, … scientists have claimed [,,,]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Russia Losing 1-3 Meters of Arctic Shoreline to Climate Change Annually – Scientists” – Moscow Times
Russia is losing increasing amounts of its Arctic coast each year as climate change accelerates natural erosion processes […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Russia Scrambles to Escort Ships Stuck in Arctic Shipping Route – Reports” – Moscow Times
Dozens of ships have gotten stuck in the sea ice of the Russian Arctic due to an earlier-than-expected freeze over the past week […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “A critical situation might be in the making on the Northern Sea Route” – Barents Observer
An early freeze has taken shippers by surprise and a big number of vessels are in danger of getting stuck in thick sea-ice […]
» Read moreInfrastructure in Russia’s Arctic: Environmental Impact and Considerations
(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – Kennan Cable No. 73 – Thomas Eric Rotnem – Nov. 2021) Professor of Political Science and Associate Director, School of Government and International Affairs, Kennesaw State University In 2007, Russia signaled its commitment to pursue territorial claims in the Arctic by planting a titanium Russian flag on the polar seabed. Now, Russia is moving well […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “The U.S. Air Force Has A Base Right Next To Russia. It Just Sent F-16s To Visit.” – Forbes
“… The Air Force recently stepped up its Agile Combat Employment practice when it sent at least two F-16s from the 18th Aggressor Squadron, based at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, to Eareckson Air Station on Shemya Island [near the western end of the Aleutians]. The six-square-mile island lies just 200 miles from the Russian coast. …. ‘To the […]
» Read moreMoscow Thinking about Creating an Arctic Fleet, TASS Reports
Citing anonymous Russian government sources, the TASS news agency says … Moscow is currently thinking about creating an Arctic Fleet to defend … the Northern Sea Route and … Russia’s national interests … more generally, including … natural resources […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Siberian Wildfire Smoke Reaches North Pole in Historic First” – Moscow Times
… The thick smoke had blanketed vast swathes of Siberia before reaching the North Pole, sparking evacuations, concerns over deteriorating air quality and orders to clear fire trails of dead wood and fallen trees around endangered settlements. [ ..]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Rapid Arctic Warming Is Accelerating Permafrost Collapse in Siberia, New Report Warns” – Moscow Times
The Arctic is warming roughly three times faster than the planet as a whole, scientists warned …. Permafrost currently covers about 65% of Russian territory, but is melting fast […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Melting Arctic Ice Pits Russia Against U.S. and China for Control of New Shipping Route” – Wall Street Journal
Warming in the Arctic is opening a shipping passage through Russia’s northern waters that could put the country at the center of new Asia-to-Europe trade routes […]
» Read more‘Birthplace of Ice’ in Russia’s Arctic Sees Record-Breaking Start to Melting Season
… In 2020 the Laptev Sea stayed ice-free until November for the first time in documented history. The sea … plays a crucial role in generating ice coverage for the entire Arctic […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Melting Permafrost Could Cost Russian Economy $67Bln by 2050” – Moscow Times
JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Military Seeks to Outmuscle U.S. in Arctic” – Wall Street Journal
“For Moscow it is the last geopolitical battleground where it holds the advantage over Washington and Beijing” “… [N]ew and refurbished bases [are] meant to service the Kremlin’s ambitions in the resource-rich Arctic. … combined to form a new military district … under … the Northern Fleet, Russia’s foremost Arctic naval force[] … [with fleet] headquarters … on the Kola […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Arctic-Superpower Jostling Heats Up as Russia Takes on Key Role” – Bloomberg
“Russia’s Sergei Lavrov claimed this week that ‘this is our land and our waters’ as NATO allies boost military activity” “… Russian and U.S. diplomats … [signal] rising tensions between [powers] racing to seize Arctic resources …. Arctic Council [participants] weren’t due to discuss security. But … Russia’s … Sergei Lavrov declared … the Arctic ‘is our land and our […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s weather goes crazy” – bne Intellinews
“In May it was hotter on the coast of the Arctic Circle than in the Mediterranean. Russia is heating up three times faster than the rest of the world.” “…. And Moscow has just reported its warmest days in May ever … while the rest of Europe was suffering from a cold snap that has seen gas prices … for […]
» Read moreThe Prospects for U.S.-Russia Climate Engagement Under Moscow’s Chairing of the Arctic Council
… [T]he rotating chairmanship of the Arctic Council … intergovernmental forum … will pass from Iceland to Russia for a two-year term. … [as] the organization grapples with multiple challenges and Russia-West relations have hit another historic low […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Arctic rivalry heats up among the great powers” – Financial Times
“Friction in other parts of the globe as well as climate change are fueling tensions in the high north.” “… [N]ew or updated [arctic] strategies … have appeared … from Canada, China, the EU, France, Germany, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the UK[,] [as well as] the U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Department of Defense, Department for Homeland Security, […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Russia’s Far North Could Be Arable in 20-30 Years As Permafrost Melts – Minister” – Moscow Times
… 60-65% of Russia’s territory is covered in permafrost …. Russia’s Arctic [is] melting 2.5 times faster than the rest of the world […]
» Read moreAbove The Arctic Circle, A Soviet-Era Metropolis Battles A ‘Drawn-Out Death’
… close to a century after its founding, a city whose population approached 250,000 in the late 1980s now has fewer than 60,000 residents and is shrinking faster than any other in Russia […]
» Read moreNorthern Sea Route isn’t About to Replace Suez Canal, Russian Analysts Say
… Moreover, the Northern Sea Route has its own risks because of ice, something that could delay passage far longer than the Ever Given has blocked traffic on the Suez Canal […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia seizes on Suez blockage to promote merits of Arctic route” – Financial Times
Moscow is busy highlighting the northern sea route and Nordstream as alternatives for world trade […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Could Russia Benefit From the Suez Canal Blockage?” – Moscow Times
The Kremlin wants to use the grounding of the Ever Given ship to promote its Northern Sea Route and counter European concerns over Nord Stream 2. (Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Jake Cordell – March 26, 2021) Almost $300 million worth of Russian oil products are waiting to enter the Suez Canal, which remains closed following the grounding of the […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Russia Sees Record High Average Temperatures in 2020: Institute” – Moscow Times
Economists have predicted that Russia stands to reap benefits from hotter temperatures, primarily through expanded navigation and exploration in the Arctic […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Army releases Arctic strategy focused on Russia, climate change” – UPI
“The [U.S.] Army[‘]s … ‘Regaining Arctic Dominance[]’ [strategy] includes plans to establish headquarters with combat brigades specially trained and equipped to increase cold-weather dominance …. [and plans] to improve … quality of life …. [T]he Navy and Marine Corps released its own Arctic strategy saying the United States needs to be more aggressive [there] due to threats from Russia and […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Where Climate Scientists See Danger, Russia Sees an Opportunity” – Bloomberg
“Rising temperatures in the Arctic are a warning sign for the planet. The melting ice has an economic upside for Russia.” “Russia … fourth-biggest [greenhouse gas] emitter … [also faces Arctic] temperatures … warming more than twice [that of global rates] …. [With] more than a fifth of the planet’s forests, Russia has [had] two consecutive years of record-breaking wildfires […]
» Read moreRussian Company Pays Largest Legal Award In History — Almost $2 Billion — For Devastating Arctic Fuel Spill
… [T]he Krasnoyarsk City Court of Arbitration ruled that almost all of the sum, the largest legal award in Russian history, must go to the federal treasury […]
» Read moreLavrov, Kerry Discuss Cooperation On Climate Change In Phone Call
They agreed to cooperate further within the Arctic Council … [and] to establish contacts ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia Prepares Earliest-Ever Arctic LNG Shipment to Asia” – Bloomberg/ Irina Reznik, Anna Shiryaevskaya, Dina Khrennikova, Olga Tanas
“Russia is preparing to make the earliest-ever shipment of liquefied natural gas to Asia, taking advantage of thinning ice in the Arctic … paving the way for a record-long navigation season …. [S]uper-chilled cargo from Novatek PJSC’s Yamal LNG facility in early May will beat last year’s record for the start of eastbound voyages through the Northern Sea Route … […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Putting Putin in his place: U.S. Navy eyes ‘freedom of navigation’ patrols off Russia’s Arctic coast” – Washington Times/ Ben Wolfgang
“The Navy is eyeing a tougher posture in the Arctic to push back against Moscow … [T]op Pentagon officials said … the U.S. could launch ‘freedom of navigation’ operations near Russia’s Arctic coastline. Such operations would resemble Navy exercises in the South China Sea, an area in which American ships regularly contest growing Chinese territorial claims. Officials believe similar movements […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Foreign Policy Experts Map Russia’s Plans for 2021” – Moscow Times
We asked 10 experts to predict what Russia has in store for the world next year. (Moscow Times – themoscowtimes.com – Pjotr Sauer – Jan. 4, 2021) Russia had to tread a fine foreign policy line in 2020. The country’s near abroad was rocked by unprecedented unrest as uprisings in Kremlin-friendly Kyrgyzstan and Belarus and war in the Caucasus challenged […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Northern Sea Route should operate according to special rules, based on Russia’s interests – presidential envoy” – Interfax
… Russian president’s special representative for environmental protection and transport, Sergei Ivanov said … the whole NSR runs through Russian territorial waters or … the country’s economic zone, and said that Russia must insist on special rules […]
» Read moreRussia’s Relentless Quest For Arctic Oil
… Confronted with a series of delays, oftentimes quite problematic, … the Russian Energy Ministry has started to gradually soften up long-term objectives […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Richest Man Owns More Melting Arctic Than Anyone” – Bloomberg/ Yuliya Fedorinova, Laura Millan Lombrana
“Vladimir Potanin’s sprawling Siberian mining operations make him the billionaire most exposed to the permafrost crisis.” “Vladimir Potanin, one of the [world’s] 50 richest people … stood awkwardly on … Siberian tundra near … remote mining city … Norilsk. … less than a week since a spill[,] … one of Russia’s worst [Arctic] disasters …, caused … by an aging […]
» Read moreEmergency situation: the slow-moving tragedy of the Russian Arctic
Melting permafrost, oil spills, collapsing infrastructure, abandoned towns: Russia’s far north is heading for social, economic and ecological disaster. (opendemocracy.net – Sofia Gavrilova – August 27, 2020) Sofia Gavrilova is a geographer and works in the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography, Leipzig. [Text with photos opendemocracy.net/en/odr/russia-arctic-monotowns/] “The asbestos factory closed last year. The crushed stone plant is closing this year. […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Security strongmen take on key role in Russian Arctic policy” – The Barents Observer (Norway)/ Atle Staalesen
“The Russian Security Council is given an expanded position in the management of national interests in the Arctic.” “According to a[n] [Aug. 25] decree signed by … Putin … the [Russian] Security Council is to establish a special commission … promot[ing] Russian national interests in the far northern region[,] [a]mong its responsibilities … ‘analysis of the international and social-economic situation […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “U.S. and Russian border guards conduct joint patrol in Bering Strait” – Interfax
The Russian border patrol ship Kamchatka and the United States Coast Guard Cutter Munro have carried out a joint patrol in the Bering Strait […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Climate Change in Russia and the Weaponization of Wheat” – The Center for Climate and Security/ Leah Emanuel
“As temperatures in the Russian Arctic rapidly increase and permafrost continues to melt, Russian land feasible for wheat production is beginning to grow. … While wheat makes up only 2.3% of Russia’s total exports, this small percentage constitutes a major portion of the global wheat export market. … Relying on wheat production in these newly farmable lands, however, will not […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “An oil spill in Russia’s Arctic exposes risks for Moscow’s Far North plans” – Washington Post/ Isabelle Khurshudyan, Andrew Freedman
“Thawing permafrost in the rapidly warming region leaves Moscow’s ambitious Arctic expansion proposals literally on shaky ground.” “… [S]urg[ing] … climate change in interior Russia – more than three times the global average – is throwing new risks in the way of … Putin’s Far North agenda, among his top domestic initiatives. A key danger is … more infrastructure atop […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “There Is No Arctic Axis; Russia and China’s partnership in the north is primarily driven by business, not politics.” – Foreign Policy/ Elizabeth Buchanan
“… [C]ommercial realpolitik is at the heart of [Russia and China’s Arctic] engagement. … [even as it] navigates existing fault lines, such as Beijing’s failure to acknowledge Russia’s annexation of Crimea and Moscow’s nonalignment in the … India-China conflict. … [R]egional cooperation is due to … shared interest[s] in maintaining domestic stability. Long-term economic development ventures and the viability of […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Melting Arctic Permafrost Threatens Russian Energy Firms’ Bottom Line – Morgan Stanley” – Moscow Times
Rapidly melting Arctic permafrost poses the greatest threat to major Russian energy producers’ infrastructure and financial indicators, according to a new Morgan Stanley report […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “The Far-Reaching Consequences of Siberia’s Climate-Change-Driven Wildfires” – Smithsonian Magazine/ Theresa Machemer
“Smoke from the blazes is now reaching the West Coast of the United States.” “… [S]moke from the fires … spans over 1,000 miles … causing hazy skies [in] the northwestern United States …. Permafrost is rich in organic material that froze before it could completely decompose. Melting permafrost releases greenhouse gases on top of the pollution released by the […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Realism in the Arctic” – The National Interest/ Kenneth Yalowitz, Ross A. Virginia
“The United States and Russia have disagreements on many issues, including the organization of the international system. No ‘reset’ in relations is in sight but there is a need to put a floor in the relationship and work on possible areas for cooperation. The Arctic can be one.” “… The Arctic is [Russia’s] highest priority strategic national interest …. Arctic […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Tie for warmest 12-month period globally as Siberia sizzles (Update)” – PhysOrg/ Marlowe Hood
“Temperatures soared 10 degrees Celsius above average across much of permafrost-laden Siberia last month …. Earth’s average surface temperature for July 2019-June 2020 was 1.3C above pre-industrial levels …. In the Arctic … an hourly temperature record for June … was set on the 21st near Verkhoyansk in northeastern Russia …. [P]reviously registered Arctic hourly highs in 1969 and 1973 […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Russian Arctic sets ‘fantastical’ heat records: weather chief” – AFP
“The Russian Arctic set record temperatures in June that sparked abnormal tundra fires … Russia’s weather service [director] said … blaming climate change for … ‘fantastical’ anomalies. Russia’s northern territories, including parts of Yakutia region which borders the Arctic ocean, have faced a heat wave … with some districts declaring a state of emergency. … He noted one record in […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Russia’s Arctic Environmental Disasters” – Moscow Times
Russia’s Arctic has been hit by three separate environmental disasters linked to mining giant Norilsk Nickel in the span of a month […]
» Read moreJRL NEWSWATCH: “Arctic Circle’s record temperatures heighten global warming concerns” – Financial Times/ Leslie Hook, Max Seddon
“Wild anomalies such as the 38C recorded in northern Russia this week underline climate change threat.” “… [N]orthern Russia has produced the highest temperature ever recorded inside the Arctic Circle …. [R]esidents of Verkhoyansk, north-east of Siberia in … Yakutia … have … been sunbathing in a town that at other times of the year shares the record as the […]
» Read moreRUSSIALINK: “Arctic Temperatures Hit Record High in Russia Amid Heat Wave” – Moscow Times
Russia recorded an all-time heat record above the Arctic Circle on Saturday as Siberia continues to swelter under a historic heatwave […]
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