Moscow views Washington's move as an illegal annexation and has made it clear that it does not recognize the expanded claims
The Russian Foreign Ministry has firmly rejected the United States' attempt to claim jurisdiction over more than one million square kilometers of maritime territory, including areas in the Arctic and the Bering Sea.
Moscow views Washington's move as an illegal annexation and has made it clear that it does not recognize the expanded claims.
Earlier this year, Russian representatives voiced this position during a meeting of the International Seabed Authority (ISA), an organization that operates under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). According to Russia, the US is unilaterally trying to alter the boundaries of the seabed under the ISA’s jurisdiction, potentially undermining international law and the interests of the global community.
In December 2023, the US Department of State announced its “extended continental shelf” project, claiming jurisdiction over nearly one million square kilometers of seabed beyond its territorial waters. Under UNCLOS, countries can claim maritime zones extending up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from their shores. However, the US is seeking to extend that claim, despite the convention’s clear procedures for such extensions.
“These unilateral actions by the US contradict international law and bypass established rules and procedures,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The ministry also highlighted its opposition to Washington’s attempt to use the UNCLOS framework solely to advance American interests.
While UNCLOS does allow for the expansion of a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) if it can prove that its continental shelf extends beyond the 200-mile limit, the process requires submitting a petition through the proper international channels. Russia itself followed this process in 2015 when it submitted a request for an extended shelf in the Arctic.
The US, despite being involved in drafting the UNCLOS, has never ratified the convention. This refusal significantly undermines the legitimacy of Washington's claims, as its proposed maritime boundaries will not be recognized internationally without agreement from other countries with competing territorial claims, such as Russia, Canada, and members of the Arctic Council.
The maps released by the US State Department show claims in six areas, including the Arctic and the Bering Sea along its maritime boundary with Russia. The US asserts that its claims extend up to 680 nautical miles beyond the 200-mile limit in the Arctic and approximately 340 nautical miles eastward in the Bering Sea. Additional claims include portions of the seabed north of the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean and areas off the west coast of California. In the Atlantic, the US has laid claim to vast stretches of seabed beyond its 200-mile line, along with two sections of the Gulf of Mexico bordering Mexico and Cuba.
Analysts suggest that even without the current geopolitical tensions—namely the ongoing proxy war with Russia and economic rivalry with China—the chances of obtaining international approval for these unilateral US claims would be slim. There are also concerns about how the US can justify its expanded claims in the Arctic, given its objections to similar territorial demands from countries like China.
In the end, Moscow’s stance remains clear: any attempt to alter maritime boundaries unilaterally will not be accepted, and the only path to resolution is through negotiation with the countries that have legitimate stakes in these contested areas.
