MURMANSK: Russia on Thursday hailed “record” cargo volumes through its Northern Sea Route, which cuts travel time between Europe and Asia, as Arctic ice melts and helps Moscow redirect trade hit by sanctions over Ukraine.
Before launching his Ukraine offensive, President Vladimir Putin had promoted the Arctic route as a strategic priority, with Russia developing a fleet of eight nuclear icebreaker ships.
“Last year ended with a record, with around 38 million tons,” of cargo shipped via the route, said Alexey Likhachev, director of Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom, which operates the icebreakers.
Putin was due to address the issue later on Thursday at a forum on Arctic development in the northern Russian port city of Murmansk.
Competition over Arctic resources has heated up as a warming climate opens up previously iced sea lanes.
And US President Donald Trump’s campaign to annex Greenland has also intensified the geopolitical and security dimensions of the tussle for influence in the region.
Moscow has invested heavily in the Northern Sea Route, which can cut travel time for cargo ships by 15 days compared to sailing via the Suez Canal.
Climate change has meant Russia’s nuclear icebreakers can pass along its entire northern coast, though at times with difficulty.
Vladimir Panov, a special representative for Arctic development at Rosatom said Moscow has seen “shippers in summer and autumn redirect their cargoes” via the route to Asia.
“In the last two years, for the first time we have switched to year-round operation of icebreakers,” he said at the forum on Wednesday.
Russia has also clashed with the West over its ambitions for Arctic development.
Foreign ministry official Vladislav Maslennikov on Wednesday accused the West of having a “provocative” Arctic policy.
“Under the guise of protecting the environment and combating climate change, we are witnessing ongoing attempts at de facto unfair competition,” he said.
Despite increasing volumes of cargo transported, Moscow has faced a series of logistical issues on the route.
In 2018 Putin had set a target of 80 million tons a year in annual cargo by 2024.
Russia hails ‘record’ Arctic shipping as sanctions pivot trade to Asia
https://arab.news/vctg6
Russia hails ‘record’ Arctic shipping as sanctions pivot trade to Asia
- Competition over Arctic resources has heated up as a warming climate opens up previously iced sea lanes
UK police seek information from ex-protection officers of king’s brother Andrew
- Any changes to the line of succession would require consultation and agreement with other countries where King Charles is head of state
- London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday it was now identifying and contacting former and serving officers
SANDRINGHAM, England: British police said on Friday they were contacting former protection officers who worked for King Charles’ younger brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, urging anyone with allegations of sex offenses relating to Jeffrey Epstein to come forward.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday, his 66th birthday, on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.
A British official said Britain’s government would consider new legislation to remove the former prince from the line of royal succession once the police investigation into his ties with Epstein is over.
Any changes to the line of succession — Mountbatten-Windsor is eighth in line to the throne — would require consultation and agreement with other countries where King Charles is head of state, the official — who asked not to be identified — said.
OFFICERS URGED TO SHARE INFORMATION
Thursday’s arrest related to allegations Mountbatten-Windsor sent confidential government documents to the disgraced financier when he was a trade envoy.
As part of a completely separate inquiry, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday it was now identifying and contacting former and serving officers who may have worked closely with the royal.
“They have been asked to consider carefully whether anything they saw or heard during that period of service may be relevant to our ongoing reviews and to share any information that could assist us,” the police statement said.
“We continue to urge anyone with new or relevant information to come forward. All allegations will be taken seriously and, as with any matter, any information received will be assessed and investigated where appropriate.”
Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, a convicted sex offender whose death in a New York jail in 2019 was ruled a suicide, and said he regretted their friendship.
In 2022, the royal settled a civil lawsuit brought in the United States by the late Virginia Giuffre who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager at properties owned by Epstein or his associates.
British media reports have stated that Giuffre received around 12 million pounds ($16.2 million) from Mountbatten-Windsor. He has denied ever meeting her.
London police had previously looked into allegations of trafficking for sexual exploitation relating to Epstein and decided in 2016 not to launch any criminal investigation. That decision has since been reviewed three times, and as it stands there is no current formal investigation.
Friday’s statement said in light of the recent mass release of documents by the US government relating to Epstein, police were also looking into whether London airports were used by him to facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
“We are assessing this information and are actively seeking further detail from law enforcement partners, including those in the United States,” the statement said.
That echoed statements from three other police forces that are looking into private flight links to Epstein at other airports in Britain.
HELD FOR MORE THAN 10 HOURS
The latest development comes after Mountbatten-Windsor was released under investigation, having been held by detectives from Thames Valley police for more than 10 hours on suspicion of misconduct in a public office relating to his time as a trade envoy from 2001-2011.
He has not been charged with any offense, but looked haunted in a Reuters photograph after his release, eyes red and slumped in the back of a Range Rover.
The photograph of a man who was once a dashing naval officer and reputed favorite son of the late Queen Elizabeth was carried on the front page of newspapers in Britain and around the world, accompanied by headlines such as “Downfall.”
News of the arrest also made headlines around the world, including Australia, where Charles is head of state, Europe and the United States.
The recent release of Epstein files showed Mountbatten-Windsor had remained friends with Epstein long after the financier was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.
Those files suggested he had forwarded to Epstein British government reports about investment opportunities in Afghanistan and assessments of Vietnam, Singapore and other places he had visited as the government’s Special Representative for Trade and Investment.
The arrest of the senior royal is unprecedented in modern times.
King Charles, who stripped his brother of his title of prince and forced him out of his Windsor home last year, said on Thursday he had learned about the arrest with “deepest concern.”
“Let me state clearly: the law must take its course,” the king said.
Julian Payne, Charles’ former communications chief who is now at Edelman, said by putting the statement in the king’s words, it was designed to show that he was taking the lead on the matter, and he thought the public would be supportive.
“After all, how many other leaders around the world are judged through the actions of their relatives?” he told Reuters.
POLICE SEARCHES AT WINDSOR CONTINUE
As part of its investigation, Thames Valley Police have searched Wood Farm on the king’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England, where Mountbatten-Windsor now lives, and officers were still searching his former mansion in Windsor on Friday.
While being arrested means that police have reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed and that the royal is suspected of involvement in an offense, it does not imply guilt.
A conviction for misconduct in public office carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and cases must be dealt with in a Crown Court, which handle the most serious criminal offenses.
