Russia rejects U.S. legal claim to Arctic seabed: RFE/RL

By Andrew Blackman March 27, 2024
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The Bering Sea coastline, in Alaska’s Bering Land Bridge National Monument. (National Park Service)

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has rejected a claim by the U.S. to a vast tract of the seabed off the coast of Alaska, according to a report on the RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty website.

  • The U.S.’s assertion that it owns about 1 million square kilometers of undersea territory violates international law, the ministry said in a March 25 statement.
  • According to the RFE/RL report, the U.S.’s claim—made around three months ago—surprised some legal experts because it cited a UN treaty setting out rules for the world’s oceans for the claim. Unlike Russia, the U.S. isn’t actually part of the treaty.
  • In a statement, Russia accused the U.S. of taking a “selective approach’’ when it comes to applying international law.

You can read the full report here and Russia’s statement here.