Plans being drawn up by Russia to make a $7bn investment splash in Arctic shipping make eye-catching headlines.
But is this a realistic strategy to help make the Northern Sea Route (NSR) above Siberia a viable competitor to the Suez Canal?
And is it even appropriate in today’s world to encourage industrialisation of such an environmentally sensitive area?
It is worth saying to start with that Rosatom has made no formal announcement of these plans — or officially confirmed them.
