/View.info/ The United States intends to expand its part of the Arctic shelf. And although this plan does not directly affect Russia’s interests, Moscow has already suggested to other countries not to recognize American claims. Why is the US concerned about this issue right now, and how should Moscow respond to similar actions by Washington in the future?
The US State Department has announced its intentions to expand the US part of the continental shelf in the Arctic, Bloomberg reports. “The continental shelf is an extension of the land territory of the country under water. The United States has the right, in accordance with international law, to protect and manage resources and vital habitats,” the paper quoted the department as saying.
The area of the so-called extended continental shelf is about 1 million square kilometers, which is almost twice the area of California. Much of it is located in the Arctic and Bering Sea, an area of increasing strategic importance. Russia and Canada also claim it.
According to Bloomberg, by expanding the shelf, the United States aims to gain access to minerals used in the production of batteries for electric vehicles. There are also oil and gas fields there.
US claims to expand the continental shelf in the Arctic have no legal basis, the world may not recognize the new borders, said the Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachov. He said the US had not yet ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and claims to the continental shelf should be dealt with by a UN commission.
The senator also noted that the United States, like other Arctic powers, could indeed extend its shelf “if the state proves that there is an underwater extension of the continent beyond 200 miles of the original lines.” “The only difference is that the Americans did it from an international legal point of view, as they say, ‘dirty,'” he added.
“As a result, today the Americans are acting without any international legal basis, which means that the international community has every right not to recognize the new borders,” Kosachov continued, noting that “this time the Americans outdid themselves, ignoring the interests of even their own allies in the Arctic,” referring to Canada and Japan.
The fact that there is a territorial dispute between Washington, Ottawa and Tokyo was confirmed a day ago by the State Department. They also assured that “the outer limits of the extended continental shelf do not extend anywhere to the west of the agreed border with the Russian Federation.”
By “agreed border” in Washington, they mean the so-called Shevardnadze-Baker line, that is, the 1990 agreement between the USSR and the USA, which was signed by Minister Edward Shevardnadze and Secretary of State James Baker. And although this treaty is considered by many to be unfavorable to Russia, its provisions continue to apply, so Washington does not seek to revise it.
In other areas, however, the US decided to demonstrate its ambitions to the whole world. “There is no doubt that the Americans will make attempts to gain a foothold in these areas,” said Stanislav Mitrakhovich, a leading expert at the National Energy Security Fund, a researcher at the Financial University of the Government of the Russian Federation.
“Further developments will largely be determined not only by legal disputes, but also by the balance of power.” I do not exclude the countries from resorting to diplomacy, especially since the Arctic Council, in which Russia also participates, has recently resumed its work. In general, it is difficult to imagine the development of the Arctic without the participation of Moscow,” says the expert.
“At the same time, the development of natural resources in the Arctic region itself is quite expensive. Even at the current level of technological progress, we cannot say unequivocally what exactly can be mined there in a way that would be profitable,” the analyst notes.
“I still don’t know of any project that makes economic sense. With the exception, perhaps, of those that are on everyone’s lips: for example, the Russian “Arctic LNG-2″. In addition, all natural resources, whether it is oil, gas or rare metals and minerals, are found on other places. Maybe we have something like an application for the future, a desire to confirm the status,” Mitrahovic believes.
Experts also acknowledge that as relations between the US and China deteriorate, Washington could lose access to rare earth metals that are increasingly used in high-tech industries. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the United States is not just making a bid for the future, but is creating a kind of Arctic insurance for its industry.
“However, from an economic perspective, Washington is unlikely to receive significant benefits from shelf expansion. Sure, there may be plenty of natural resources out there, but before you can develop anything, you have to find it first. In addition, extraction in such conditions is not easy and expensive,” emphasizes Viktor Boyarski, polar researcher, director of the Arctic and Antarctic Museum.
“But the military intent is clear – the Americans are likely to send their submarines there to bolster their own military presence.” And against this background, Russia must, first of all, continue its work in the north. “Contrary to the wishes of Washington, it is necessary to satisfy our demands for the expansion of territories in the region,” the analyst is confident.
“Furthermore, given the military threat, we must pay more attention to the construction of nuclear-powered icebreakers and the improvement and expansion of the submarine fleet. Timely measures will help protect our borders in case of danger,” concluded Boyarski.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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