The Arctic is Melting

Once frozen wasteland, the wild, inhospitable Arctic is becoming a contest across new frontiers. Melting ice is opening shipping routes and releasing energy resources, prompting a scramble for control and access. Competing businesses race to secure their advantage while rivals prepare for what could become a new theatre.

President Vladimir Putin in his quest to restore Russia to its former greatness is focusing on the Arctic as a strategic area over which he could have near total control.