• Before the war, the prospect of a nuclear accident in the Arctic seemed remote. It was only slightly easier to imagine one involving a nuclear vessel or a floating nuclear power plant. Today, the situation is deteriorating rapidly, as Russia continues to build new nuclear sites while halting the cleanup of nuclear legacy sites. The absence of international assistance and regional cooperation, along with the dwindling attention paid to nuclear safety in the Arctic by the federal authorities, spells further trouble.
• That the risks are growing is no concern to Russia, which may in fact see the peril of its development of the Arctic as a feature, not a bug. It could form part of its policy of blackmail, with Russia taking things to the brink to force concessions from the West such as the resumption of financing and technical assistance—irrespective of developments on other fronts.

Read the full article at The National Interest.