Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that India is among the countries showing growing interest in the Northern Sea Route (NSR), as Moscow looks to expand cooperation in the Arctic amid rising tensions in the region.
Speaking to Pacific Fleet personnel aboard the missile cruiser Varyag, Putin said Russia was seeing greater interest from partner countries in using the Arctic shipping route, particularly as Western sanctions continue over the Ukraine war.
According to ANI, Putin said China, India and other countries were discussing ways to work with Russia on the NSR, while stressing that any cooperation would follow international maritime law.
Putin also warned of growing tensions in the Arctic, which he linked partly to NATO's expanding presence in the region.
What Is The Northern Sea Route
The Northern Sea Route runs along Russia's Arctic coastline, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via the Barents, Kara, Laptev, East Siberian, and Chukchi seas.
It offers a significantly shorter passage between Europe and Asia compared to traditional routes through the Suez Canal, cutting both distance and transit time.
Moscow has been pushing to develop the corridor as a major shipping lane, particularly as retreating Arctic ice makes it more navigable for longer stretches of the year, though the route remains reliant on icebreaker support and faces harsh weather conditions for much of the year.
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Warning Over Ship Seizures
Putin separately warned that Moscow would retaliate "in kind" if European nations moved to confiscate Russian merchant vessels, as the European Union tightens pressure on what it calls Russia's "shadow fleet," Russian state-run news agency TASS reported.
He described any impounding of Russian ships as "piracy and banditry."
"And if this is actually put into practice, we will be forced to respond in kind," Putin was quoted by TASS as saying, adding that retaliation would not be confined to the waters where Russian vessels are detained. "It will happen wherever we deem it necessary and appropriate," he said.
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EU's Sanctions Push
The remarks come as the European bloc widens its sanctions net against ships suspected of helping Russia bypass restrictions on crude oil exports.
The EU has expanded its sanctions regime to cover hundreds of vessels, with some European countries already detaining ships and crews for inspection, while several governments consider tighter maritime enforcement measures against sanctions-evading vessels.
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