According to Victor Grokhovsky, the head of Meteoric Expedition of the Ural Federal University (URFU) to the Antarctic Region, science keeps away from the sanction policy.
The sanction policy pursued by some European states and the USA towards Russia has not hampered the countries' collaboration in space exploration and studies of the Arctic and the Antarctic.
"We, the Russian scientists, don't face any predicaments in getting information from our foreign colleagues in the field of the latest developments in space exploration. We also share information with our colleagues from Europe, the USA and other countries. The sanctions do not prevent scientists of various countries from making new discoveries together", the academic secretary of the Space Research Institute, RAS, Dr. Sci. Alexander Zakharov stated to the the TASS correspondent.
The geopolitical situation has not affected the international research in the Arctic either, as Vladimir Pushkarev, the director of the Russian Ñenter for Arctic Exploration said. "In particular, we interact with foreign scientists in studies of the Yamal funnels. Thus, we gave samples from the bottom of one of the funnels for examination in Europe. Besides, we make data exchange on the research with our European colleagues", - he pointed out.
"As for our expedition to Antarctica planned to be started at the end of November, we have got membership applications from our colleagues in the Czech Republic and Finland. So there is already quite a large "subs' bench" of European researchers", the head of Meteoric Expedition Victor Grokhovsky reported.
Foreign scientists keep collaborating with Russian paleontologists as well. They run free tests and assays of the remains of ancient animals unearthed by Russian expeditions. This was reported by Pavel Kosintsev, the head of the Historical Ecology Laboratory at the Institute of Flora and Fauna Ecology, RAS.
"A few European laboratories are carrying out the age determination of the prehistoric porcupine's and rhinoceros' remains found in the Urals, Russia. None of our foreign colleagues has refused to cooperate with us. We all understand the importance of this research for reconstructing the ancient world climate, as well as fathoming the causes for extinction of live organisms on the Earth. In this matter the politics is just out of question", - the scientist assumed.
Author: Vera Ivanova