Source: International "National Unity Club" youtube
Description:
Larry Johnson welcomes Pepe Escobar and Viktor Bout on the International Unity Club. Bout, back from 12 Russian regions, says voters are focused on the conflict with the collective West on Ukrainian territory, and on the everyday problems he heard from business people, students, and families.
On the Arctic, Johnson names four openings: the northern transport corridor, fisheries, oil and gas, and rare earth minerals. He says U.S. academics could not agree which should come first, and that the United States has only two old diesel icebreakers. Bout says the priority is the Northern Sea Route.
Russia has been building icebreakers and ports from Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, opening regions such as the Yamal gas fields. He argues Siberia and the North are part of Russia, harsh to live in, and that only Russia is in a position to develop them while keeping the languages and way of life of the northern peoples.