of titanium alloy placed on the seabed of the earth’s geographical North Pole was not only a scientific feat but also a political feat. It was a bold statement coming from the Kremlin that Russia is serious about its claims in the high north. This marks the beginning of a new race for the Arctic as Russia showed the world especially the Arctic States that they are now ready to do more than just claiming.

The Russian Federation is also claiming a large swath of seabed along the Lomonosov Ridge but confined to its sector of the Arctic along with other countries in the Arctic who are claiming their parts. The Arctic holds large quantities of minerals, like phosphate, bauxite, copper, nickel and iron ore. The Russian mining giant–NorilskNickel MMC (Russia’s largest mining company) leads the world’s production of nickel and palladium as a by-product. The company has its own fleet of vessels to ship out the minerals and owns port terminals, which help them to extract minerals from the Arctic and transport them to different parts of the world.

United Kingdom

The UK has always been a formidable force since time immemorial. They have been known for reaching out to the far corners of the world to conquer land and colonize them. However, in the 21st century, their strongholds over the majority of global affairs have been wearing off gradually. Their economy is suffering as well as they have also opted to exit the European Union. Amidst all these, they are one country who in the recent