The presence of powers in the Arctic; Competition over energy, security and transit routes

Mehr News Agency, International Group: The Arctic is one of the areas where each of the great powers pursue their own interests. In a recent speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the Russian sovereignty in the region that Russia has the largest ice -free fleet and is strengthening its fleet in the region. These statements are most likely to intensify the geopolitical competition between the great powers in the Arctic.

Importance of the Arctic

The Arctic is a land of land in a circle of 1.5 degrees north. The Arctic is located at a point where it reaches 2 meters deep and is covered with massive masses of ice floating. Generally, the geographical boundaries of the Arctic include Siberia, Northern Europe, Greenland, Alaska and North Ocean, and neighbors of Pole, USA, Russia, Canada, Norway and Denmark.

The amount of oil, gold, diamond and other minerals in the area has not yet been determined, but the disappearance of polar ice can provide the opportunity to exploit oil and minerals (diamonds, gold, silver, lead, copper and zinc). Oil, gold and diamonds are the wealth that Russia, Canada, the US, Denmark and Norway compete to achieve. At the end of the year, the US Energy Agency announced that the Arctic accounted for about 2 percent of the world's oil resources.

According to estimated statistics, 5 % of the world's unchanged gas reserves, which will meet the world's 5 years of gas demand, are in the Arctic. Some sources have estimated the amount of oil and gas in the region more than 5 billion tonnes and others, more than 5 million barrels of crude oil, which is responsive to the world's five years of crude oil. Given that 5 % of world trade is on water, the melting of the region will open less costly and less expensive roads for maritime trade, shortening the distance between the United States and China up to 5,000 kilometers from the European and Japanese shipping route and 6,000 kilometers later. Another feature of this area is the largest source of freshwater storage in the world, which is important to all countries.

The competition of the great powers in the Arctic

Since the twentieth century, the importance of this region and the claims of sovereignty has attracted the attention of great powers. Currently, Russia and the United States are the most important powers in the region. China is also finding a foot in the area. Energy, security and access to transit routes are the most important competitive areas of powers in the region.

1. Energy

Energy is the most important basis for competition between powers in this region. The Gulf Oil Square of the Prodo Alaska is the US most important oil field in the region, which produced about 2 percent of US oil in the 1980s. The Trump administration issued permission to excavate in more than 6,000 hectares in the North Pole Wildlife Refuge in the year. National Security Strategy emphasized economic diversity, transition to green energy and environmental protection.

In 2008, the US Department of Interior has rejected commercial access to copper reserves through the Arctic National Park and banned oil drilling in half of Alaska. North Pole resources for Russia are essential to addressing the decline in production in traditional oil and gas fields and assisting Moscow to promote export diversity strategy. The Arctic of Russia's ambition is in the field of liquefied natural gas production that is deeply intertwined with other national interests such as the development of the North Sea route and the shipbuilding industry.

2. Security

Security competitions are much of the Russian -US policy in the Arctic. US policy is based on unilateralism and bilateral security agreements. The National Security Strategy also emphasizes the increase in capabilities by improving the infrastructure, including the expansion of the ice -breaking fleet and strengthening cooperation with the Arctic allies against Russia. The United States is particularly seeking to develop a centralized command structure in the Arctic. Gorbachev described the Arctic as a peace and cooperation area. In the 1980s, Russia began militarizing the region in response to an increase in NATO's presence.

Moscow reconstructed about 2 airports, 2 military bases, 2 depths in deep waters and 2 border checkpoints in the Arctic. Russia has even allowed China to build docks in five important ports along the Arctic coastline. There is a huge difference in the military presence between Russia and the United States in the Arctic. Russia has been pursuing a comprehensive strategy in the region for many years. While the United States has only two oceanic ice breakers, the Russian northern fleet has about two ships, including two ice creams, and by year 2 it will be added at nuclear frosts.

1. Transit routes

The development of maritime trade routes is one of the main priorities of the great powers in the Arctic. The United States is looking for access to the North Pole (NSR) and Northwest crossing (NWP). The navigation season in the NSR from three to six months and NWP from two to four months to year 2 allows Washington. It is expected that the transportation of goods from Europe to the Far East via the NSR will be 5 % more profitable than the Suez Canal. Ansarullah attacks in the Red Sea reduced the use of seven major shipping companies to the Suez Canal. Severe drought in Panama also reduced trade by 2 % since November.

These challenges have highlighted the need for alternative shipping routes and make the Arctic routes increasingly important. In contrast, Russia has prioritized the development of the Arctic, especially through the North Pole. In the years 4-5, Russia's Arctic doctrine focused on the creation of new ports, customs installations and maritime inspections along the North Pole coastline. Vladimir Putin has emphasized the strategic importance of this marine route. Russia's development plan to develop this route by year 2 includes $ 5 billion in infrastructure investment.

At the same time, the issue that has raised US concerns is Russian -China's cooperation in the region. China is referred to as a country close to the Arctic. China signed an agreement to invest in Alaska Natural Gas Export Facilities in 2008. In year 2, Chinese companies bought 2 percent ($ 1.5 billion) from a Russian natural gas company.

Iris Ferguson, Deputy Secretary of Defense Minister of Arctic and global resistance in December, called the increase in military cooperation between Russia and China as worrying, saying: “We see Russia focusing on the North Pole. This is part of their security calculations against the United States and NATO. “Despite the erosion in Ukraine, they are strongly focused on the North Pole.” The US deterrent approach to Russia in the area consists of two important issues; The first is to do military maneuvers and the second increase in diplomatic cooperation with Norway, Sweden, Canada, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland and Finland. “These countries have a unique and unique advantage for the United States because they extend from the Russian border to the Strait of Bring,” Ferguson said. “These are seven like -minded partners who have incredible military capability and have a heavy geostrategic alignment with us.”

Result

Putin's remarks on the Arctic show that competitive spaces between large powers are expanding to areas that have been paid less attention so far. The polar ice melon and the increased ability of energy resources have made the area very important. In addition, given the insecurity on the existing corridor routes, the great powers view the paths in the Arctic, including the North Pole Sea and the Northwest crossroads, as future commodity transport routes.

Sajjad Moradi Kalard; International Relations Researcher