Russia Claims North Pole by Planting Flag on Seabed

[Archduke Robert of France]

A Russian expedition claims to have successfully planted a titanium flag of Russia on the seabed below the North Pole.

The expedition ship Akademik Fyodorov is carrying over 100 scientists to the North Pole. "Apart from the purely scientific goal of a comprehensive study of the climate and seabed at the North Pole, this expedition may help Russia to enlarge its territory by more than one million square kilometers," the Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute said.

The mini-submarine Mir-1 was reported by the Vesti-24 television channel to have successfully reached the Arctic seabed. "Our mission is to remind the whole world that Russia is a great polar and research power," said expedition leader and deputy speaker of the Russian parliament Artur Chilingarov, who has been named presidential envoy to the Arctic by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Submarines have in the past traveled below the Arctic ice cap, but this is the first time man reaches the seabed below the North Pole. The Mir-1 and a second Mir-2 submarine face the challenge of diving 13,980 feet (4,261 metres) deep, and then having to resurface at the exact location where they've submerged, because they are not strong enough to penetrate the ice themselves. The nuclear ice-breaker vessel Rossiya is keeping the ice open for the research ship and the submarines.

Canada, the United States, Norway and Denmark (through Greenland) have an exclusive economic area 200 miles north of their Arctic coastline, established under international laws. Russia is claiming a larger area, extending to the North Pole, saying that a continental shelf called the Lomonosov Ridge, runs from Siberia on the Arctic seabed to the North Pole. As such, it would be an extension of Russian territory.

"This isn't the 15th century. You can't go around the world and just plant flags and say 'We're claiming this territory'," was the reaction of Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay.

In 2001, Russia made a case with the United Nations to extend its boundaries to the Arctic, but the U.N. requested more scientific data to strengthen the Russian case. The current mission is collecting evidence to submit another request in 2009, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Canada and Denmark last year sent out a joint mission to establish whether the Lomonosov Ridge is connected to their territories, and Norway is investigating this possibility too. Last May, U.S. senator Richard Lugar (Rep, Indiana) said that it would be difficult to negotiate about Russia's claims as long as the U.S. has not ratified the Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that any issues about Russia's claims would be resolved "in strict compliance with international law."

The claimed territory could contain undiscovered natural resources such as oil and gas, media sources speculate.

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Any thoughts? Personally, I think it's pretty silly seeing as how the age of imperialism has long since passed and I don't see what Russia would do with it since it's the largest country on earth and Siberia isn't all that developed.

[Whisper]

u dont get it
they want the oil n gas
they want control of atleast a small part if not more of the north west passage

there fuckin aholes

Theres been MAJOR heat up about the north canadas spent millions trying to upgrade its navy to increase patrols of OUR waters around OUR islands

[Archduke Robert of France]

Yes, well it still hasn't exploited Siberia for all of its natural resources. I don't see why they would want to do something as technically challenging as drilling for oil and gas thousands of feet below the water when they still have the vast expanse of wilderness known as Siberia.

[redcar]

Ah Russia they are people we need to watch. Most don't consider them a threat anymore but they are slowly building themselves up again. People like Putin are not people you want to mess with.

[Whisper]

Actually I read in The Alberta Oil magazine that russias oil reserves could be fully depleted within the next 30yrs which would explain why they want it
but denmark thinks there claim is bullshit and belives it belongs to them

meanwhile russia and denmark belive that a good chunk of Canadas northern islands and waters dont rightfully belong to Canada
and want them declared international

while America is demanding that the Northwest Passage which snakes inbetween our islands is infact an international passage not belonging to Canada

countless countries send nuclear subs under the ice without telling us
so were spending over 7billion to try and increase our millitary pressence there to protect our soverignty

Because trying politically just dosent seem to be working

[Aηdy]

Russians are ass-holes, burn them all!

[Whisper]

Alex I understand your a lil nervous about the recent events with russia pulling out of the conventional weapons pact thingy
but if you look at it from there side
none of the NATO countries surrounding them ever ratified it

and now America one of there biggest enemies wants to install anti-balistic missile silos right on there door step
i mean honestly how do you think america would react if it was the other way around and Russia was installing them in Cuba....ya that'd go over well

Personally
I'm concerned about China
but as of yet they've done nothing wrong

Russians are ass-holes, burn them all!
Thats not a good mentality to have
i hope your kidding..

There just diffrent
nobody ever enters a war thinking there the bad evil ones
just like neither side enters with the intention of losing

theres no black and white
unfortunatly
its not that simple



and now were WAAAAAY off topic

eljkjgth;elrakjg;lkjr;gkh;fljs

I'm concerned about the north and have been watching closley for over a yr now
thats one of the main reasons i voted for the conservative party
I'm Canadian and this will directly effect my country and its people

[serial-thrilla]

ahhhhh, fuck russia, they need to get their vodka drinking asses out of canada!

[Archduke Robert of France]

Actually I read in The Alberta Oil magazine that russias oil reserves could be fully depleted within the next 30yrs which would explain why they want it

So you're basically telling me that they've explored all of Siberia, determined where the oil is and how there is there and somehow came up to thirty years. Why not just import it like almost every other industrialized nation on Earth or develop alternative energy sources?

meanwhile russia and denmark belive that a good chunk of Canadas northern islands and waters dont rightfully belong to Canada

I think they do. Canada remains in North America and Russia should remain in Eurasia.

countless countries send nuclear subs under the ice without telling us

That's making the assumption that the waters around the North Pole belong to Russia. It's not like countries are invading Russian terrotorial waters with their subs.

Because trying politically just dosent seem to be working

Did JFK bomb Cuba when he suspected Russia of installing missile sites there?

Russians are ass-holes, burn them all!

I disagree.

and now America one of there biggest enemies wants to install anti-balistic missile silos right on there door step

I normally take actions by the US with a grain of salt, but in this case I have to agree with the legitimacy of the US effort. Although they didn't go about it particularly wisely, the Cold War is over and deploying nukes to hit Russia is completely pointless when you have countires like Iran and North Korea trying to join the nulcear club.

[Whisper]

So you're basically telling me that they've explored all of Siberia, determined where the oil is and how there is there and somehow came up to thirty years.
Aperantly thats what I read in a VERY respectable alberta oil magazine and belive me when I tell you if theres one thing Alberta knows...its oil

Why not just import it like almost every other industrialized nation on Earth or develop alternative energy sources? .......Umm you dont get it, Russia will lose a MAJOR money maker like billions if not trillions of dollars
exporting = make billions
importing = spend billions
They probably have other rescourses in Siberia like diamonds er something I know Canadas tundra is packed with some of the best rated diamonds on the planet

The oil in gas suspected to be there...is MASSIVE
Trillions of dollars
so naturally Russia is instantly claiming it as theres
when they do not have a ligitimate claim the UN's already considered and refused




I think they do. Canada remains in North America and Russia should remain in Eurasia.
Amen man
unfortunatly many countries
your's included
see's it diffrently
unfortunatly



That's making the assumption that the waters around the North Pole belong to Russia. It's not like countries are invading Russian terrotorial waters with their subs.
No not Russian waters Canadian waters
and they do belong to us
look at a map of canada the northenrn islands in the northwest territorys and nunuvat the water between the islands, is OURS
Canadian waters are violated and invaded by Russian, American, British, and French subs all the time
and Denmark seems to belive one of our islands belongs to them
but we've always just had fun with that the war of liqure....long story



Did JFK bomb Cuba when he suspected Russia of installing missile sites there?
he came DAM close




I normally take actions by the US with a grain of salt, but in this case I have to agree with the legitimacy of the US effort. Although they didn't go about it particularly wisely, the Cold War is over and deploying nukes to hit Russia is completely pointless when you have countires like Iran and North Korea trying to join the nulcear club.

no there not nuclear missiles
there anti-balistic conventinal weapons
they could still do massive damage if the states chose to use them that way
the reason america wants to instal them is part of the missile defence sheild
there claiming they want to protect NATO allies in Europe from hostile nations like iran

So the northern stunt
combined with pulling out of the weapons pact
and refusing to hand over the asasin to the United Kingdom
has resulted in frosty relations as of late
putins grumpy

[Bobby]

Russians are ass-holes, burn them all!

Discusting. Don't talk like that about other Races. I am russian, and I find that offensive.

[redcar]

Russians are ass-holes, burn them all!

That type of attitude is not acceptable.

[Aηdy]

I would like to appologise about the post I made earlier. I didn't intend to offend anyone and I'm sorry if I did. Thats what alcohol does to you. Never agian. Sorry guys.

[Whisper]

http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/geography_images/canada_political_map.jpg

this is Canada
this is how its been since we lost our last chunk awhile ago
poor BC
NO MORE

its OURS
our boarders extend up to the North Pole
the North Magnetic Pole is in Canada
we ARE the true north strong and free
Ou ra!

[Octo22]

Odd that so many nations claim Antarctica and the Arctic. According to the U.N. it is illegal to claim ownership of the two poles, international waters and space.

[Whisper]

I don't care about the rest of the arctic
nor do i care about the antarctic or space

i care about keeping what Canada has always claimed since it was formed

[boognish]

Odd that so many nations claim Antarctica and the Arctic. According to the U.N. it is illegal to claim ownership of the two poles, international waters and space.

you dont understand the problem is that russia feels they found a loop hole. there is supposedly an underwater ridge that links russia and the north pole through land. making the north pole property of russia

[serial-thrilla]

fuck russia, thats so stupid. coming into canada claiming its theirs.

[Crazysam]

u dont get it
they want the oil n gas
they want control of atleast a small part if not more of the north west passage

there fuckin aholes

Theres been MAJOR heat up about the north canadas spent millions trying to upgrade its navy to increase patrols of OUR waters around OUR islands

can you really blame them? after the poverty they experienced in the 1910s?

[serial-thrilla]

can you really blame them? after the poverty they experienced in the 1910s? yes we can, seeing as how noone involved in this little expedition every experianced the poverty from the 1910s.