China receives oil from Russia via Arctic

The West has greatly contributed to the development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) by its rejection of Russian resources, Breitbart News reported. Thanks to the active use of the NSR, Russia will now hold a dominant strategic position in international trade.

Russian tankers that used to deliver oil to European buyers are instead now being diverted to China via the Arctic.

“Russia sent two initial crude oil shipments to China in mid-July, with four more oil tankers currently headed the same way via the Arctic, each carrying around 750,000 barrels of crude oil,” the report says.

Russian ships heading to Asia can save up to 30% travel time by using the NSR through the Arctic Ocean instead of the Suez Canal. Russia has long considered switching to the NSR, and Scandinavian countries are also considering it.

When the West imposed sanctions on Russia, and Europe launched a complete phase-out of Russian oil and gas, the attractiveness of the NSR for Moscow surged.

So now it could be a catalyst for radical changes in the transportation between Europe and Asia – especially considering that global warming is actively melting glaciers in the Arctic and ships are finding it increasingly easier to navigate the Arctic Ocean.