Putins große Arktis-Wette, den Westen zu schlagen

The Northern Sea Route, increasingly branded the “Polar Silk Road”, sits at the heart of [Vladimir Putin](https://inews.co.uk/topic/vladimir-putin?ico=in-line_link)’s [Arctic](https://inews.co.uk/topic/arctic?ico=in-line_link) strategy. Increasingly, Moscow views it as a way of reducing exposure to Western-controlled maritime chokepoints.

The route spans Russia’s northern coastline, from the Kara Strait in the west to the Bering Strait in the east. In favourable summer conditions, it can cut transit times between northeast Asia and northwest Europe by [up to 40 per cent ](https://unctad.org/publication/navigating-troubled-waters-impact-global-trade-disruption-shipping-routes-red-sea-black)compared to the Suez Canal, and by even more when compared to routes around Africa, which are often disrupted.

The route’s appeal has grown as traditional chokepoints face increasing geopolitical strain. For Putin, it means [a chance to better control one of the potentially key trade routes](https://inews.co.uk/news/world/trump-putin-threatening-uk-how-to-defend-4116037?ico=in-line_link) between Europe and Asia, though there are notable challenges.

Chinese shipping companies, including NewNew Shipping and Sea Legend, completed a record 14 full container voyages along the Northern Sea Route in 2025, up from 11 in 2024, and have ambitions for more consistent summer schedules in 2026.

A significant step forward for Putin came in October, when [Russian and Chinese officials approved](https://www.arctictoday.com/rosatom-fosters-collaboration-with-china-on-the-northern-sea-route/) a detailed action plan focused on the joint development of icebreaker services, enhanced navigation systems, search-and-rescue coordination and efforts to extend the navigable window beyond the traditional July-October window.

For the Kremlin, the economic logic is compelling.

The route enables Russia to monetise costly Arctic infrastructure: deep-water ports at Sabetta, which serves Yamal LNG, one of Russia’s largest Arctic energy projects, and Pevek, a key eastern export terminal, as well as the world’s only fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers.

Geopolitically, the alignment is even more pointed. By linking the Northern Sea Route to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, under the Polar Silk Road banner, Russia has constructed a northern corridor that sidesteps Western-dominated routes, notably the Suez Canal, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Malacca Strait.

All three of these are exposed to potential blockades or sanctions-related restrictions.

To maintain discreet exports, Russia has previously relied on [shadow tanker fleets and vessel reflagging.](https://inews.co.uk/news/russian-ghost-ships-in-channel-uk-surrounded-4156621?ico=in-line_link) Yet the risks of these tactics was recently underscored by [US and British forces seizing a Russian-flagged oil tanker](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/uk-seize-putins-shadow-ships-4154317?ico=in-line_link) 100 miles from UK waters. Its capture further highlighted to Russia the vulnerability of traditional maritime routes to Western enforcement actions.