Category: Politics

New Russian-Chinese Collaboration in the Polar Regions

Marcel Schütz

Russia and China will jointly train specialists for navigation in polar waters, according to a memorandum signed during Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s visit to China, the Russian Ministry of Transport announced on its Telegram channel.

Precious metal production in Chukotka continues to grow

Heiner Kubny

Chukotka is a remote region in north-eastern Russia, home to several large gold mines. The region is known for its harsh climate and difficult living conditions.

China launches 42nd Antarctic expedition

Heiner Kubny

As part of this expedition, China plans to drill into deep lakes beneath the Antarctic ice sheet for the first time. Using hot water and melt drilling systems, boreholes will be drilled through more than 3,000 metres of ice.

Swiss Seed Samples for the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard

Rosamaria Kubny

Svalbard – On October 21, 2025, the Global Seed Vault on Svalbard was opened once again. More than 21,000 new samples from 20 international gene banks made their way into the frozen mountain above the airport of Longyearbyen.

Rosatom develops new floating power plants

Heiner Kubny

Rosatom has begun developing a new floating nuclear power plant with a capacity of 180 megawatts. This was announced by the deputy director general of the corporation, Andrei Nikipelov. ‘We plan to build a whole series of floating power plants.

Through the Northeast Passage in record time

Heiner Kubny

The Chinese container ship «Istanbul Bridge» has completed the route from China to the United Kingdom via the Arctic in just 20 days.

Svalbard – The Russian state-owned company Trust Arktikugol has once again requested permission to build a road to Coles Bay.

Marcel Schütz

The Russian state-owned company Trust Arktikugol has expressed its interest in building a road connection between the settlement of Barentsburg and the long-abandoned ghost town of Colesbukta in a letter to the Norwegian authorities.

Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska is a reminder that the 49th state was once a Russian territory

Polar Journal AG Team

On Aug. 15, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska to discuss ending the war in Ukraine. It will reportedly be the first time a Russian leader has set foot in Alaska since Russia sold the territory to the U.S. 178 years ago.

A Shifting High North Drives Europe to Rebuild Arctic Security

Dr. Michael Wenger

In response to the new geopolitical realities from Russia and China and a divergent USA, key European nations are fundamentally rebuilding their Arctic security through new strategic alliances, policies, and military investments.

The Complex Path to a New U.S. Icebreaker Fleet

Dr. Michael Wenger

The US icebreaker program is struggling amidst high costs and delays while a Finnish-Canadian consortium could help but is hampered by the current trade policy of the US government.