Russia warns of a global legal race due to unilateral exploitation of minerals at the bottom of the sea

Aghanen said that some countries' violation of international law in dealing with seabed mineral resources may open the door to competing legal systems for exploiting shared resources. He added that the issue does not concern national interests alone, but rather affects all countries and peoples.

The Ambassador referred to Executive Order No. 14285 issued by US President Donald Trump on April 24, 2025 regarding “Unlocking Critical Mineral Resources and Resources of the US Continental Shelf.” He believed that Washington seeks through it to accelerate the exploitation of minerals at the bottom of the sea.

He explained that the matter relates to the “extended continental shelf,” the borders of which the United States unilaterally determined in 2023, stressing that Russia does not recognize these borders. He considered that talking about “responsible exploitation” does not resolve the legal dispute, because the majority of the international community does not accept granting Washington the right to extract unilaterally outside its national jurisdiction.

Aghanen conveyed the warning of the International Seabed Authority that bypassing the mechanisms of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea may entail legal, diplomatic, economic and financial risks, as well as repercussions on reputation and international security. He also noted the Secretary-General's warning to the Authority that unilateral licenses could set a precedent that undermines global ocean governance.

The ambassador confirmed that Moscow fully shares this position, citing the intervention of the Russian delegation at the thirty-first session of the Authority's Assembly, which was held in Kingston, Jamaica, on July 27. According to Aganin, Russia described the American attempts as a challenge to international law and an undermining of the legal system established by the 1982 agreement.

Aghanen called on all countries, including the United States, to abandon unilateral measures and not create mechanisms parallel to the existing international system, considering that these measures threaten the equitable development of countries, especially developing ones.

The ambassador cited a joint declaration issued by the Elysee Palace on June 9, 2025 and supported by 33 countries from Europe, the Americas and the Pacific. The declaration called for the application of the “principle of caution” and a temporary precautionary halt to deep-sea mining, due to limited scientific knowledge of the ecosystems there and their role in biodiversity and climate regulation.

Aghanen pointed out that data from the US Congressional Research Service show that more than 40 countries have declared, by the end of 2025, their opposition to commercial deep-sea mining. He acknowledged that some of these positions were not directed exclusively against the US executive order.

The ambassador warned that granting American bodies independent licenses to their companies may encourage other countries to take similar steps outside the framework of international authority. He said this could produce two competing legal systems, one administered by the international authority and the other based on national legislation.

He added that this scenario may raise disputes over claims to specific mineral deposits, environmental standards, recognition of licenses, and international financing and insurance. He believed that the fundamental disagreement revolves around who has the right to set rules that are binding on everyone, not just who has access to resources.

Aghanen recalled that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea considers seabed resources beyond national jurisdiction “a common heritage of humanity,” which requires taking into account the interests of developing countries in distributing their benefits. He warned that unilateral licenses might give technologically advanced countries a greater share of these wealth at the expense of small countries.

The ambassador concluded his article by saying that the ability of the international community to defend the rule of law will determine whether these resources will remain a “common heritage of humanity,” or will turn into a source of new conflicts and exacerbate global inequality and instability.