Russia’s Foreign Ministry rejected a U.S. claim to a vast territory of seabed under the Arctic Sea, accusing Washington of violating international law. The ministry’s statement, released on March 25, comes three months after the United States made its unusual pronouncement, asserting ownership of around 1 million square kilometers of undersea territory off the coast of Alaska. The move raised eyebrows among legal and polar experts since Washington cited a major UN treaty setting out rules for the world’s oceans for the claim, even though it is not part of the treaty. Russia, meanwhile, is a signatory to the treaty.
