How Russia is leveraging its Arctic region for global influence

By Rachel Premack

2023.01.22

For the past decade, while the rest of us weren’t looking, Russia has invested seriously in its Arctic region. Now, some 20% of the country’s GDP and 30% of its exports come from these chilly lands. Climate change has softened the landscape where critical oil and gas reserves were stuck underground, while melting ice caps have allowed tanker ships to transport that fuel across Eurasia.

It’s a fascinating trend that’s set to get more critical in the coming decades.