This environmental shift is intensifying a global debate over control of the Arctic's future routes, rules, and resources, poised to shape international markets for decades. Russia’s arctic footprintRussia dominates the Arctic due to geography and infrastructure. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Yamal Peninsula continues to reach both Asian and European buyers, given that Russian LNG has not been fully sanctioned. Ship-to-ship transfers, opaque ownership structures and the blending of Arctic-origin oil have weakened Western measures targeting the shadow fleet and Arctic LNG projects. Looking forward, concentrated control over Arctic sea lanes may splinter trade routes, making the High North a separate corridor with different rules, costs and political risks.