With Middle East sea lanes choked by conflict, melting polar ice offers Asia a seasonal two-week short cut to European ports
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenBiman MukherjiPublished: 2:00pm, 22 Aug 2026Climate change and conflict are conspiring to open up the Arctic to Asian commercial shipping, with China, South Korea and India all eyeing the icy short cut to Europe.
“In 2027, we are planning to have the first pilot vessel running through the Northern Sea Route. We are seeing huge possibilities,” S. Venkatesapathy, a joint secretary in India’s shipping ministry, reportedly told the Arctic-Regions Forum in Arkhangelsk, Russia, on August 13.
