[SteamShovel]

I’d rather the Russians get their hands on those resources than our own whacko environmentalists or the whackos in the UN.

Point taken and agreed to.

However, I think Russia's claim to exclusive exploitation rights in international waters is a display of arrogance and a bad precedent if allowed to stand. The Russians could just exploit without an exclusive claim I would think...

[samtheman]

You’re right technically, and legally, but I’m not so sure it’s a bad precedent.

With the UN trying to lay claim to the entire global seabed, it might be a GOOD precedent for individual states to just say no.

Don’t get me wrong. I trust the Russians to be consistently self-interested and actively anti-American.

But still, not as bad as the UN.