With the melting of the ice, the Arctic is the object of much envy, especially between Russians and Americans.

The reason: under the ice, there are precious hydrocarbons.

A dozen countries bordering this area are meeting this Wednesday in Iceland for a Council to discuss in particular questions of military strategy.

The question of the North Pole could become a major strategic issue.

The melting ice gives access to new hydrocarbon deposits and also opens up new maritime routes.

About ten countries bordering this area are meeting this Wednesday for two days in Iceland for an Arctic Council.

Antony Blinken, the head of US diplomacy, and Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, are expected to meet there for the first time.

If they don't have big disagreements on environmental issues or rescue at sea, militarily, that's another matter.

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The Arctic, Russia's preserve?

As for the Russians, it is a bit as if they had posted an "Arctic preserve" sign. Moscow has doubled the number of military bases there in 15 years, and Sergey Lavrov recently said that the Arctic was "their land and their territory". It is above all their cash machine: half of the state budget comes from the immense oil and gas fields of the far north.

But Alexandre Thaite, researcher at the Foundation for Strategic Research, remains convinced that, despite the firmness displayed, Russia has no interest in offending its neighbors. "The future of Russia's financial equilibrium is well in the Arctic. In fact, today, Russia will mainly release its gas and oil through icebreaker LNG carriers, icebreaker tankers that it is. in the process of building. So it needs peaceful relations to get out this gas and this oil, which are essential to its economy, ”explains the researcher.

The Americans are calling for not militarizing the Arctic. It is not a priori a question of security, but of freedom of movement. Indeed, by taking control of the area, Moscow could establish a right of passage for merchant ships tempted by the far north route.