It is one of the coldest, remotest and most inhospitable places on the planet. But global warming means the Arctic is heating up, thawing out deposits of precious minerals, and opening up new oil and gas fields, and trade routes. That means the North Pole is increasingly worth fighting over, and each of the world’s superpowers are vying for control: None more-so than Russia. Vladimir Putin has built dozens of military bases there, poured billions into a new shipping route he hopes will one day rokal the Suez Canal, and laid claim to an underwater mountain range that could contain vast untapped resources. China is now muscling in on the act: Declaring itself a ‘near-Arctic nation’ and bolstering Russia’s activities in the region. Meanwhile, America and her allies are scrambling to respond: Welcoming Sweden and Finland into NATO, updating their own bases, and carrying out sabre-rattling military drills. This is how and why each of these global powers are now squaring up over the Arctic C...