Russia renewed its push at the United Nations to recognize nearly a half-million square miles of the Arctic as its sovereign territory. The top of the world is believed to hold as much as a quarter of the planet’s untapped oil and natural gas. It’s no wonder than that other “border countries,” including the United States and Canada, have contested Russia’s claim, which it said is based on “ample scientific data.” The UN rejected a similar proposal in 2001 based on scant evidence.
