At its nearest point, Alaska is just 2.4 miles from Russia. In the remote Bering Sea, Little Diomede island (US) lies next to Big Diomede island (Russia).
In between them sits the International Date Line which means the American island, also known as Yesterday, is 21 hours behind its Russia neighbour, unsurprisingly dubbed Tomorrow.
This quirk of geography and history appeals to Putin, not only literally putting him ahead in the sense of time, but also ahead in politics – because that’s where he’s winning the race for control of a vast region that is opening up, thanks to climate change.
For as the Arctic increasingly melts, it is Russia and Putin that are taking advantage.
“This region is at the centre of Nato’s security. This is Nato’s northern flank… Russia’s military presence particularly, has been growing now for years,” warned foreign secretary David Lammy on a recent trip to the High North.
“This area is hugely, strategically important as the ice caps melt. It opens up potentially new gateways. Suddenly you can do shipping in areas where you couldn’t before.
“My visit is about deterring the threat from Russia, just as it is about tackling the threat of climate change.”
Russia is working hardest to dominate the Arctic because it has most to gain from the opening of these routes. The melting Arctic ice cap is an economic and military opportunity that Moscow has not missed.
Recently, it expanded its fleets with its binoculars trained on Arctic dominance. The newly built Arktika-class nuclear icebreakers, such as the Arktika and Sibir, are among the most powerful in the world.
They are capable of ploughing through ice up to 2.8 meters thick and operating all year-round.
By the end of this year, Russia plans to operate a fleet of over 20 nuclear and diesel-electric icebreakers – and will lead the world in carving through the Arctic.
In reply, the US Coastguard has three icebreakers and one on order. The UK has none.
This Russian fleet enables Moscow to lead the search for the vast mineral resources, including fossil fuels, that are locked up beneath the melting ice.
Icebreakers also allow it to control shipping routes and assert military dominance over the emerging region.
