and warned moscow not to militarize the region. on that note it may be too late. in recent years, russia has been busily modernizing and growing a network of military bases on its arctic coastline. along with the plan deployment of new high-tech weapons, that amounts to an unprecedented russian buildup in the region. also high on the western list of grievances, moscow claims that its territory in the arctic extends beyond its maritime borders and into international waters. so why is all of this wrangling and posturing about an area you may think of as an empty frozen wasteland. well because it is not entirely frozen any more. as global temperatures rise due to climate range, more and more of the arctic is becoming navigable for longer and longer periods of year. russia with the world's largest arctic coastline wants to take full advantage.