Russia has announced that any unilateral action by the US to extract mineral resources from the seabed, especially in areas that Washington has designated as the "extended continental shelf", is unacceptable and contrary to the principles of international law.
Publish dateTuesday 11 August 2026 - 09:22
Story Code : 362923
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): According to Sputnik, Russian officials, referring to the US President's decree of April 24, 2026 on the exploration and extraction of seabed resources outside the country's national jurisdiction, have said that Moscow does not recognize such actions.
Russia also considered the US's determination of the borders of the so-called "extended continental shelf" in 2023 to be illegitimate and emphasized that this action was taken without observing international principles and procedures.
Russian officials have said that although the United States is not a party to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, its signing of the 1994 Agreement on the Implementation of Part XI of the Convention obliges the country, under Article 18 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, to refrain from actions that would conflict with the object and purpose of the agreement.
Moscow said that the unilateral actions by the United States could undermine the regime governing the “area” – the international seabed, which is recognized as the common heritage of mankind – and undermine the jurisdiction of the International Seabed Authority.
Russia has also warned about the environmental consequences of deep-sea resource extraction, saying that extraction activities without international supervision could cause irreparable damage to fragile marine ecosystems.
Russian officials added that developing countries could also suffer from such actions, as unilateral exploitation of common resources jeopardizes the principle of equitable sharing of these resources by nations.
The dispute over seabed resources goes beyond a dispute between Moscow and Washington and concerns how to manage shared resources in international waters. The United States insists on its right to explore and extract resources in what it considers its continental shelf; in contrast, Russia insists on respecting the framework of international law and the supervision of international institutions.
The importance of this issue has increased with the increasing attention of countries and large companies to deep-sea mineral resources, especially materials used in advanced industries and new energies. Therefore, how this dispute is resolved could affect the future of deep-sea resource extraction and the rules governing this area.
Russia also considered the US's determination of the borders of the so-called "extended continental shelf" in 2023 to be illegitimate and emphasized that this action was taken without observing international principles and procedures.
Russian officials have said that although the United States is not a party to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, its signing of the 1994 Agreement on the Implementation of Part XI of the Convention obliges the country, under Article 18 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, to refrain from actions that would conflict with the object and purpose of the agreement.
Moscow said that the unilateral actions by the United States could undermine the regime governing the “area” – the international seabed, which is recognized as the common heritage of mankind – and undermine the jurisdiction of the International Seabed Authority.
Russia has also warned about the environmental consequences of deep-sea resource extraction, saying that extraction activities without international supervision could cause irreparable damage to fragile marine ecosystems.
Russian officials added that developing countries could also suffer from such actions, as unilateral exploitation of common resources jeopardizes the principle of equitable sharing of these resources by nations.
The dispute over seabed resources goes beyond a dispute between Moscow and Washington and concerns how to manage shared resources in international waters. The United States insists on its right to explore and extract resources in what it considers its continental shelf; in contrast, Russia insists on respecting the framework of international law and the supervision of international institutions.
The importance of this issue has increased with the increasing attention of countries and large companies to deep-sea mineral resources, especially materials used in advanced industries and new energies. Therefore, how this dispute is resolved could affect the future of deep-sea resource extraction and the rules governing this area.
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