🎙 Excerpt from Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview for the 'Soviet Breakthrough' semi-documentary series project (September 19, 2024)

📺 Part 1 of the interview

❓ Question: What countries does Russia interact with to develop the Arctic Region? What is the mechanism of this interaction?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: The Arctic Council has been in existence for rather long. Apart from Russia, it includes the United States, Canada, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. Each country presides over the Arctic Council during two years. Russia’s position papers on developing its northern areas and cooperating with partners in the high latitudes always proceed from the premise that, first, the Arctic Council is the main body ensuring multilateral cooperation and, second, that there is not a single problem in the Arctic that would require any elements of military activity to be transferred thereto.

This approach is shared by all the other Arctic Council members. Their position papers, including the US documents, say that they aspire to a peaceful and prosperous Arctic. We agree with this approach.

In practice, however, our NATO colleagues increasingly often turn their attention to the Arctic Region (this began long before the special military operation), declaring that the North Atlantic alliance also has interests over there for reason of its geographical location. <...>

❗️ The Arctic is not NATO’s territory. But it is no longer enough for them that, contrary to their promises, they have added almost the whole of Europe to NATO membership. Currently, the Alliance is turning its eyes to the entire Asia Pacific Region, declaring bluntly that “thence come the threats to NATO.” <...> Their desire to globalise, gain legitimacy and assert themselves as a global, rather than just North Atlantic, policeman extends to the Arctic Region. We see NATO multiply exercises to prepare for possible crises in the Arctic. But Russia is fully prepared to protect its interests at the military, political and military-technical levels.

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There are many non-Arctic nations willing to work in the Arctic, including China and India, our close strategic partners. We have many projects (including joint projects) with both sides, which create prospects for trilateral cooperation.

These imply efforts to promote economic ties, introduce technologies to Arctic development, produce LNG, use the Northern Sea Route, and upgrade its infrastructure for an added convenience of Asia-Europe communications.

❓ Question: We are on a second wave of Arctic development now. Can the Arctic become a field for diplomatic struggle? How could that struggle be manifested?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: I would not describe this as a ‘struggle.’ In today’s conditions, I would rather talk about negotiations aimed at achieving a balance of interests. On the other hand, life is a struggle. <...>

Most countries interested in expanding the boundaries of their continental shelf have acted legitimately, in strict accordance with the established procedure, which includes a final decision on each application taken on the basis of general approval and scientific rationale.

A few months ago, the United States announced the new outer limits of its continental shelf in areas beyond 200 miles from the coast without applying to the commission.

Clearly, that was another attempt to show it was superior to everyone else, a hegemon – “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,” as [in the proclamation by the pigs] in George Orwell’s story Animal Farm. It was quite telling that not a single country agreed with Washington's claim.

☝️ We will work with the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf to return to the rules established by the UNCLOS.

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