The hitch in Trump's plan for Arctic dominance

There is an ‘icebreaker gap’ between Russia and the United States. For decades, the Soviet Union and now Russia have recognised that icebreakers not only allowe their remote northern settlements to be resupplied by sea but also ensured that the waters north of this vast country were navigable. Moscow can boast that it has a fleet of over 40 vessels, eight of which are nuclear-powered. The latest vessel is called Yakutia and is a sobering example of how sanction-hit Russia has, despite everything, demonstrated a capacity to source parts and equipment for its fleet domestically. Icebreakers perform an essential service for both transit and destination shipping in the Gulf of Finland and along the Northern Sea Route (NSR). Despite the tough sanction talks, Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) is still finding its way to markets in the European Union.