As per a report from the New York Times, recently President Barack Obama visited Alaska to address an Arctic Council policy meeting during his tour northernmost state of the country. Russia is pressurizing international Arctic Council partners to begin seriously thinking how to distribute the territories around North Pole.

Russia is doing so in view of continuously increasing temperature in the Arctic. Reports say the country filed a claim to big areas of the Arctic Ocean. It claimed the continental shelf that extends into the sea on shores of Russia is part of the country also. The claim has been filed under the Law of the Sea convention; however, the US has not yet approved the measure. It seems it has no plan of approving Russia's claim.

President Obama and Vladimir Putin know that the Arctic Circle is extremely valuable as it consists of reserves of natural gas, oil and fish.

Russia has been increasing its military presence in the area. The country recently delivered a number of paratroopers to a base located at the North Pole. Climate researchers looking at the impacts of warming on the glacial cover and ocean were panicky to see a military camp of Russia on the ice.

However, President Obama's visit to Alaska was not related to any bargaining with Russia. Shipping routes and resource in the Arctic Circle have led to tension even between countries like the US and Canada.

The maps are not going to be changed soon; however, it is hard to say what Russia looks forward to doing regarding its claim to territories in the Arctic Circle.