Russia already controls the world’s largest reserves of natural gas. There is growing concern that unless Moscow’s claims in the Arctic are challenged, the West, which is heavily reliant on Siberian gas, could become dangerously dependent on Russian energy.
“For a long time Russia had neither the money nor the will to care about the Arctic. That’s changed radically,” said Nikolai Petrov, a political analyst.
“It’s a matter of prestige and power. It’s of geopolitical importance — to lay a claim to a region in a way which symbolises Russia’s resurgence as an international power. It’s not just about resources, it’s about Russia’s image.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article4449487.ece