By Özgür Ekşi
When we consider the issue from the very beginning, we see that the Silk Road trade of the past, which took place by land, was still from east to west, but now it is carried out by sea. Alfred Mahan’s famous words about controlling the seas and controlling the world were said for the naval power of countries, but today, maritime trade is also an essential part of this.
For this reason, an international naval coalition was established to combat piracy off the coast of Africa in the past.
Today, tension over maritime trade involving China in the Asia Pacific is expected at any moment. It would not be surprising if this also manifests itself through Taiwan. This route starts in China, extends to the Netherlands and passes through the Red Sea. Thus, the purpose of the second maritime security coalition established in the region has just been revealed. This coalition aims to prevent maritime transport from seeking different routes.
So, is there a different route?
With global warming, new routes began to emerge in the Arctic Ocean. This route is five thousand miles shorter than the route through the Red Sea, but it is not preferred because it is still deserted and far from institutions that can help and structures that will provide security. The priority of the U.S. was to delay the choice of this place, and the second aim was to gain security in some regions during that period. Understandably, Finland wants to become a NATO member after Russia attacks Ukraine, but is it possible to claim the same for Sweden?
At this moment, to understand the background of the U.S. pressure, it is necessary to look at the recent agreements made with Norway and Denmark, which are already NATO members in the region, and similar ones made with Sweden and Finland. These agreements give the U.S. the right to open bases and maintain troops.
In short, the U.S. is trying to prevent the entire trade route to the Netherlands from falling under Russian sovereignty.
What is Russia doing?
He claims the sale of Alaska to the U.S. is illegal. Thus, it wants to take control of the sea route through the Bering Strait that will be used in the future between Russia and the U.S. In this way, it makes the first move against one of the U.S.’s points of dominance at the beginning and end of the road.
The next move in this new chess game between the U.S. and Russia may come from an unexpected place on the board.
