SPECULUM VERUM
US-Russia bitter rivalry extends to Arctic after Russia's military invasion of Ukraine。
Among them, Russia is promoting the development of the Northern Sea Route, including the construction and deployment of nuclear icebreakers as a national policy.。And Russia is trying to find a way out by tying the countries of the Arctic Ocean and the Global South against the severe economic sanctions of the West.。
This is the point of explanation。
Rosatom, the core company of the Arctic Ocean strategy
★Russia joining hands with the Middle East
Rising geopolitical risk
The Northern Sea Route is the shortest route between Asia and Europe.、More than 30% shorter than the route around the Suez Canal。Liquefied natural gas produced in the Arctic has already been transported on this route.。As Arctic ice dwindles in warming、Russia stakes its future as a maritime nation on the Northern Sea Route。by the military invasion of Ukraine、Russia and other Arctic coastal states、America、Canada、Conflicts with Norway and others intensify、but Russia、Assuming that the Northern Sea Route will be realized as planned、We have not wavered from our bullish stance that we will more than quadruple the current transport volume to 270 million tons by 2035.。
At its core is、Rosatom, the state-owned nuclear power company.。What does Rosatom do in the Arctic Ocean?、Develop coastal infrastructure by deploying offshore ship-type nuclear power plants, etc.、It plans to deploy 15 offshore nuclear power plants along the Northern Sea Route in the future.。
and the other is、Advance the deployment of nuclear icebreakers on the east side, where the ice is particularly thick.、Realizing year-round operation of the Northern Sea Route。Currently there are 7 ships, but in 2026 it will be 9 ships.、There are plans to increase the number of ships to 13 by the 2030s.。
In July 2018, I covered the construction of a nuclear icebreaker at a shipyard in St. Petersburg.。Three nuclear-powered icebreakers are under construction in a huge shipyard.、I felt Russia's strong will to launch the Northern Sea Route.。At that time, a 60-megawatt nuclear-powered icebreaker was being built.、It is said that it can operate even on ice with a thickness of 3 meters.。The three icebreakers are already in service in the Arctic Ocean.。Furthermore, it has been decided to build a huge nuclear icebreaker with twice the output of 120 megawatts.、It is said that it can operate even on ice with a thickness of 4 meters.。
Despite severe sanctions from Europe and the United States,、Why does this bullish stance persist?。Rosatom is the world's largest nuclear power company.、Power generation from uranium enrichment、Reprocessing、And it's a state-owned company that has the ability to do everything from nuclear waste storage.。During the Soviet era, it was said to be the Ministry of Medium-sized Machinery, and the development of nuclear weapons.、I am deeply involved in the production。Rosatom also operates the Zaporizhye nuclear power plant in Russia-occupied Ukraine.。
But Rosatom as a company、It is not on the sanctions list of the United States, Japan, etc.。Rosatom accounts for about 45% of the world's production of enriched uranium, which is the raw material for nuclear power generation.、The world's nuclear power generation, including the United States, depends on Rosatom's enriched uranium.。The United States continues to import enriched uranium from Russia.、pays Rosatom $1 billion。as the Putin government、Rosatom is the main company in the Northern Sea Route.、It may be that they are trying to take advantage of the constitution that is difficult to receive sanctions from Europe and the United States.。
now、Russia and Rosatom are trying to lure countries in the so-called Global South, such as the Middle East, into the Northern Sea Route.。last month、Putin's hometown、International Economic Forum held in St. Petersburg。In the past, a large number of European, American and Japanese companies aimed to invest in and participate in the Russian market centered on energy.。But with Russia's military invasion of Ukraine, Western companies disappeared.。Participants from the Global South, such as the Middle East and Africa, stood out at the venue this year.。Among them, the UAE and the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East sent delegations in large numbers as the main guests of the forum.。
United Arab Emirates Like Other Middle Eastern Countries、does not participate in economic sanctions against Russia。While Western and Japanese airlines are canceling flights to Russia、Abu Dhabi, the capital, still connects Russia with the world、A base that supports the movement of people and goods。Rosatom is、With DP World, a UAE government-affiliated global freight forwarding company、An agreement was signed at an economic forum to cooperate in cargo transport and investment using the Northern Sea Route.。DP World also transports cargo and operates port terminals around the world.、Expanding bases in Africa、We are also working to expand north-south logistics from Russia and Central Asia through the Caspian Sea to the Indian Ocean.。
President Rosatom Likhachev: “The sanctions have had an impact and we are behind、Our colleagues in the UAE will also benefit from the Northern Sea Route becoming a global logistics route.”
DP World Suleyam Chairman: “We are a global logistics company and、Russia is important as a transport corridor connecting East and West。There are many advantages as a route to avoid distribution disturbances.、That's why we participate and support."
As a DP world、By early involvement in the Northern Sea Route, the shortest route connecting Europe and Asia,、There will be speculation to increase competitiveness in the future。On the other hand, Rosatom、In the midst of confrontation with Europe and the United States and severe sanctions、India and Southeast Asia、middle East、And major exports to countries in the Global South such as Africa、Along with increasing exports of resources such as energy and food,、Using the global DP World network to advance the development of the Arctic coast、Materials and technology necessary for the development of the Northern Sea Route from the Global South、It seems that there is an intention to take in funds。
On the 4th, the summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization was chaired by India.、held online、Iran becomes a full member。Iran's accession、From Russia to the Caspian Sea in the East-West Corridor such as the Northern Sea Route and China's Belt and Road Initiative、Central Asia、China and Russia may also want to connect the north-south corridor leading to the Indian Ocean via Iran.。
Despite India's first chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,、not face to face、like online、To what extent will the countries of the Global South engage with Russia, even if they do not agree with the Western sanctions against Russia?、As long as the military aggression against Ukraine continues、It can be said that it showed that there is a limit to its involvement.。
One of the reasons for the Northern Sea Route is that the area of Arctic sea ice has decreased due to global warming.、Another is the end of the Cold War.、It was also a great opportunity that the east-west distribution that had been closed off by the wall was opened.。But with Russia's military invasion of Ukraine、Europe, the United States and Russia are at odds with each other、Russia shows a bullish stance on the realization of the Northern Sea Route、It can be said that the geopolitical situation surrounding the Northern Sea Route has become severe.。
The Arctic Ocean is the closest point of contact between US and Russian nuclear weapons.。The Arctic Ocean, which has been covered in ice since the Cold War,、A place where U.S. and Soviet nuclear submarines track each other。now the ice is melting、Even at sea, Russia and the United States and Canada、It is strengthening its military character as the front line of confrontation between NATO member countries such as Norway.。The Arctic Council, which was a forum for discussing issues requiring international cooperation, has become dysfunctional in the conflict between Russia and the United States.。
Protection of the natural environment of the Arctic Ocean, global warming countermeasures, and protection of ethnic minorities are all based on a delicate balance.、There are many problems that require international cooperation。How to continue dialogue with Russia to protect the Arctic Ocean, which affects the entire planet、is a difficult task。