Russia

Russia, as the only nation with nuclear icebreakers and a stated commitment to turning the Arctic into its main resource base by 2020, should continue to build icebreakers capable of operating deep in Arctic territory. This will help to facilitate mineral, oil and gas development in its territory and enable shipping to occur on a more regular basis. In the near-term, Russia could also provide icebreaking services in non-Russian waters at a fee, for instance in the Northwest Passage. Russia should increase transparency about its Arctic operations in order to quell international concerns about its ambitions and commit to the effective disposal of spent nuclear fuel. In the future, Russia might serve as a model for monetizing and effectively policing northern sea routes while the country could utilize its icebreaking knowledge to gain a larger share of shipbuilding contracts for ice-capable vessels. Due to national security concerns, it would be surprising if Russia decided to allow its shipyards to build nuclear-powered icebreakers for foreign nations.