Go to mediabankView of the Arctic Ocean. File photoMOSCOW, 18 Oct. Global warming not only opens up new routes in the Arctic, but also turns the region into a potential center of conflict, including with Russia, US Senator Angus King told CNN.
"If you look at the Mediterranean sea, then there were wars for more than a thousand years to determine the relations between the countries located around the Mediterranean Sea. The question is whether we can open the Arctic and avoid conflict", he stressed.
The Maine senator noted that climate change has led to «hype» around the Arctic due to the interest of world powers in untapped reserves of energy and minerals, as well as maritime transport routes. «By some estimates, 75 percent of the Arctic ice has disappeared over the past quarter century. Moreover, some accountants believe that in the next 12 years we may have such summer periods when the North Pole is not covered by ice.All this additional space means new transport routes and reduced travel times.We may see how some transport routes will be reduced by 15 days. This is a huge economic advantage. However, do not forget that Russia owns more than half of the Arctic coast,» added the channel's journalist Boris Sanchez. 20a4fd8154a9a1aa71de277a5c1d6229.jpg» />US strategy in the Arctic reflects their militarization, Zakharova said conflict between Russia and the United States. He pointed to the critical importance of the region for America's foreign policy and national security. As President Vladimir Putin emphasized, Russia views the Arctic not as a field of geopolitical intrigues, but as an opportunity for stable cooperation. At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that the Arctic or pan-Arctic format of cooperation is difficult present without the participation of Russia as the largest state in this region, while Moscow remains open to cooperation, including with non-Arctic states, the department recalled. » />The White House claims that Russia is undermining cooperation in the Arctic