Russia seeks thawed relations with Canada over North Pole claim

Michael Byers, the Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at UBC, spoke to the Canadian Press after a Russian politician suggested his country maybe willing to work with Canada in the long-standing dispute over control of the North Pole.

Byers said sanctions and the decline in world oil prices contribute to Russia’s need to find partners in the Arctic.

“The Russians are desperate to see sanctions lifted,” he said. “In that context, they’re very eager to improve relations in any domain.”

The CP story appeared in the Globe and Mail, on CTV, Yahoo, Toronto Star and Metro News.