President Vladimir Putin spoke with Alexander Osadchiyev, a young oceanologist, who explained how general changes in the Arctic Ocean influenced navigation on the Northern Sea Route (NSR). Vladimir Putin said this was very important. According to Vladimir Putin, optimal NSR routing passes through Russian waters. However, the most efficient routing depends on how the situation develops, and it is critical to understand where the best navigation route is, he noted.

He asked the scientist how many months a year the Northern Sea Route could remain open for navigation, considering the fluctuating size of ice formations.

Osadchiyev explained that the process depends on many factors and that it is difficult to predict. “It’s like a weather forecast: we can predict the weather for the next three weeks, but three-month forecasts are not possible,” he said.

In reply, Vladimir Putin noted the varying opinions on the size of future Arctic ice formations, which include both a possible reduction and an eventual expansion.

Some experts believe that the peak of global warming is now over, and that average temperatures will now start gradually declining, Vladimir Putin added.

During the discussion, he noted that the Ministry of Transport should study the survey more closely in the context of its practical applications.