Corridors of Opportunities and Risks. The International North-South Transport Corridor in Greater Eurasia’s Geopolitics

Russia in Global Affairs. 2026. Vol. 24. No. 1. P. 114–127.

Dmitry V. Yefremenko, Sergei A. Karaganov, Ilya S. Kozylov

One of Russia’s most pressing geostrategic tasks is the construction of Greater Eurasia’s logistical network. Developing extant basic ideas for such a network, the authors consider the prospects for building the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), and its significance for intraregional, interregional, and international connectivity. A comprehensive strategy will not only help create modern transport infrastructure but also enhance the involved territories’ human capital and their scientific, technological, industrial, and commercial capabilities. The article focuses on Siberia’s special role, the comprehensive employment of its spatial, administrative, economic, and socio-cultural potential. One important measure proposed by the authors is the decentralization of government functions: the relocation of some government residences and agencies to Siberian cities, and the construction of a compact additional capital city in a Siberian town with a rich history and cultural heritage. The article also discusses the prospects of building—within a Eurasian geostrategic megaproject—a multimodal Transpolar Mainline that could reliably link Eurasia to the Pacific Ocean and America.

Keywords: инфраструктура, infrastructure, транспортная связность, geostrategy, геостратегия, МТК «Север–Юг», transport connectivity, Siberization, North-South ITC, Transpolar Mainline, Сибиризация, Трансполярная магистраль