The UK government is calling for a reassessment of its financial relationship with DP World, a Dubai-based logistics giant, due to its involvement in Russian projects. DP World has partnered with the Kremlin to advance the Northern Sea Route (NSR), an Arctic corridor connecting Europe and Asia, according to The Guardian.
Even after the war in Ukraine began, DP World signed agreements with Russia’s state nuclear entity, Rosatom, to support the NSR’s development. This week, however, the company emphasized that its efforts are dedicated to sustaining global trade flows and that it is not actively operating within Russia.
The NSR traces Russia’s Arctic coastline from Murmansk, near Norway, to the Bering Strait. Putin regards the route as key to reorienting trade towards Asia amid Western sanctions and unlocking vast Arctic energy reserves.
DP World initially partnered with Rosatom in July 2021 to explore the route’s potential, with additional agreements signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and a climate summit in Dubai. In 2023, the two companies launched a joint venture to expand Arctic container shipping.
