"The ambitions of today's Russians are equally bold – while the planting of the titanium flag (under the Artic icecap) was a largely symbolic gesture, it signalled Russia's intention to claim a vast of territory underneath the icecap that amouts to half the Arctic Ocean's seabed. If they have their way they will tame one of the last true frontiers, making Moscow the master of much of the Earth's remaining energy supplies. The risk, however, is of lurching into confrontation with the other polar powers, who are only now waking up to what is at stake. The great prize is the 25 per cent of the Earth's remaining oil and gas which the Arctic is thought to contain.

With the effects of climate change the ice is melting – some experts think that in 20 years time the North Pole will be open water during the summer months – and advances in drilling technology spurred by high energy prices mean a great energy bonanza is up for grabs.

There is a major problem though: during the centuries when the Arctic was a freezing wasteland there was little point in drawing boundaries, so over much of this expanse nobody is quite sure who owns what.

As the polar powers have got out their maps in the last couple of years, four of them - Norway, Denmark, Canada, and the USA – have made the unpleasant discovery that the fifth - Russia - is far ahead of the game. As Russian forces consolidate their grip on her messy southern frontier in the aftermath of the war with Georgia, her diplomats, oilmen and military have been pressing their advantage in the north, a border region which is on a far vaster scale but equally confused and disputed."

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...sia-leads-scramble-for-Arctic.html