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Putin tries to claim the North Pole. Can he do that?

Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin, has petitioned the United Nations for exclusive control over 463,000 square miles of the Arctic Ocean, including the North Pole. Russia has pulled all the stops this time, claiming they can prove their right to an exclusive economic zone in the area, following UN laws.

According to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a nation may claim an exclusive economic zone up to 200 nautical miles from their recognized borders. However, Russia is trying to invoke a different portion of the law, which allows countries to extend their exclusive economic zone up to 350 miles from the edge of the continental shelf, the relatively shallower area that extends outward from a content, if the shelf extends beyond the recognized borders of the nation.

Why is Russia so interested in owning large tracts of icy water? “Melting ice has opened up new transit routes and revealed previously inaccessible oil and mineral deposits,” reported the Stratfor Global Intelligence organization in January. If the ice continues to melt, the fossil fuels will become increasingly accessible, and valuable. Stratfor also suspects “[m]ilitarizing the Arctic will be a key imperative for the Russian military throughout 2015 and beyond.” In March, Russia conducted military drills in the Arctic Circle, a provocative move according to The Christian Science Monitor.

However, this is not the first time that Russia has attempted to claim this territory; in 2002 they submitted a similar claim to the United Nations, but the proposal was rejected due to a lack of substantial scientific evidence.

Now Russia claims they have the evidence. In their submission to the UN, the Russians claim to have sent a miniature submarine under the Arctic Circle, where they planted a titanium Russian flag at the North Pole according to CNBC.

The Russian ministry has said it expects a decision by autumn, according to The New York Times. But if Mr. Putin actually expects a rapid response on his possible territorial expansion, he’s likely to be disappointed. The committee that oversees these claims most likely will not convene again until 2016, and Denmark has also submitted claims of its own to the Arctic region, claiming the pole sits on a continental shelf jutting north from Greenland, not Russia, according to the Times. Competing claims are also expected from other countries that border the Arctic Circle including the United States and Canada.

http://news.yahoo.com/putin-tries-claim-north-pole-142349501.html

My understanding is that this claim has legal merit. The rules of the sea developed in the 1980's allow nations to define their sea territories by their continental shelf. Russia's claim is consistent with these agreements. Some may try to equate this with the land grab in Ukraine, but this is very different.

I think Russia can claim North Pole, since the north pole is near from its territory, thats why Putin has a big chance to own it. And I think its not a big deal for US since Russia have sold Alaska for them.

Your naive ideas about politics warm my heart  :-* Alaska was never sold to US, it was lended out by tsarist Russian empire, de jure different entity from Soviet Union and also different from modern day Russian Federation.

Of course, United States will have problems with it, as it has problems with any country that follows independent policies on its own.

However, I doubt US is currently capable to deal with artic expansion of Russians. Only ships that are capable of sustainable operation in arctic are nuclear icebreakers. US has only one, while Russians maintain or build more than dozen of those, they also have capability to modernize old nuclear mega-submarines (Typhoons) into submersible freighters. Currently floating nuclear power station is also being build.

Hahaha, according to your rationale then, the US can claim the Moon as its territory because it was the first country to step foot on it and plant a flag there! The North Pole is also near the territory of Canada, the US, Korea, Norway, Greenland, Iceland. So why don't these countries get a say in this decision? The North Pole is just a few miles north of each of these countries!

It's a huge deal, because as the ice melts new shipping lanes open which makes it easier to reach different Continents. It may also make new norther border cities become booming port cities. The waters should remain international to all the free flow of trade.

Is there any land at the North Pole (I don't believe there is)...?

That will change with the global warming. It is estimated that by 2030, the Northern Sea Route will be navigable 9-months a year. This will greatly reduce the time duration for ships traveling from Europe to East Asia and vice versa. IMO, Russia is stepping up its presence in the Arctic, in order to secure the Northern Sea Route.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Map_of_the_Arctic_region_showing_the_Northeast_Passage%2C_the_Northern_Sea_Route_and_Northwest_Passage%2C_and_bathymetry.png/440px-Map_of_the_Arctic_region_showing_the_Northeast_Passage%2C_the_Northern_Sea_Route_and_Northwest_Passage%2C_and_bathymetry.png

For example, the distance between Yokohama and Rotterdam is 17,913 km via the Suez canal, and 11,279 km via the Northern Sea Route.

If you are right, that would only leverage position of Russians further in the future, once the control over the area is established. That will be simply unacceptable for western establishment.

Find it interesting that you see the land transfer as a loan. Do you have a link to back up that claim? March 30, 1867 was the date that I know of and it was due to the British ruling the seas at the time and cutting off Alaska from the rest of Russia. Tensions where high over the Crimea War,but I may be off in my thinking.

Believe China and India are in the mix as well as observers but most likely want to get deeper into the mix.

Some western powers might not like it, but they already agreed to it. The Arctic is being divided up by many nations according to the "rules of the Sea" laid out over 30 years ago. At that time many did not want to believe the data about the warming of the planet. Now there is absolutely no question among scientists that the north pole is going to melt away and open the arctic to navigation.

http://media.economist.com/images/20090516/CFB958.gif

In addition to the shorter distance in the near future the northern trade routes going to be the safe places as the arab countries around the Suez canal and the Red Sea are getting more and more unstable. We should open a bitcoin casino and brothel somewhere there on one of the unclaimed patches :).

Future headline:

Chechen penguins blew up two russian frigates passing through lomonosov strait, Russian forces amass near the north pole. Sources claim one penguin has ties with the FSB..

Russia's claims are much more substantial than the Chinese claiming whole of West Philippine Sea

Korea and Iceland near North Pole ??? are you kidding or high?

And the argument about russian owning part of North Pole has nothing to do with they being the first to reach some territory

Wait

What is the strategic value of claiming the north pole?

What sort of facilities would be installed? Radar? AA? Etc.

None of the territorial seas are free for the cargo transporters. And also, the fee that the shipping companies need to pay for passing through the 8,000 km long Russian part of the Northern Sea Route is just a fraction of what Egypt and Panama charges for the 193 km long Suez Canal and the 77 km long Panama canal respectively.

First make the American and Canadian section of the Northern Sea Route free for the cargo transporters. Then we can talk about Russia.

Smithers, release the Kraken.

You're thinking of the south pole. There are no penguins in the north pole.


The north pole is rich in oil and other resources. Then there are the fees from trading ships passing through the territory. And we can't forget Santa also lives there.

This graphic kind of proves that Russia's point is relevant and not crazy. According to the laws of the sea they have a rightful claim (along with few other countries) to call the water "touching" the Pole part of the land of vodka and dilapidated Olympic venues! Ok, that was kind of rude but their claim doesn't seem nearly as crazy now to me as it did when I first read this post.

Do other countries get to appeal their attempt or even get a say in it?

Could you give me any proof beside your conspiracy theory huh? I have read many articles that stated Russia sold Alaska to US. I think people here just the conspiracy theorists then.



Dont you know those countries also try to claim some part of North Pole as their territory?  ::)  And you should learn how to read map then! How can you say Korea is near with The North Pole. Your sense in politic just make me laugh. US can claim the moon, but why the hell they need it?

Using this map its very clear that the Northwest Passage is in Canada's zone and passes by Alaska which probally wouldn't be to large an issue in sealanes.
The Northeast passage is in Russia's zone with Alaska / Russia in that narrow exit.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Us-su-maritime.jpg/350px-Us-su-maritime.jpg
Who controls the pole will determine a lot about the midway sea route though especially where Sea Depth is important for safe passage through the channel.

A bit of humor on that note
http://www.outsideonline.com/1930301/fbis-top-secret-plan-defend-alaska-communists
Give a bunch of guns and gold to hearty, tattooed Alaskans, and turn them loose.