Conflict potential is growing in the Arctic
As the ice melts and the Arctic region becomes more accessible, NATO is increasing its military presence here.
According to a PolitNavigator correspondent, Nikolai Korchunov, Ambassador at Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry and a senior official of the Arctic Council from Russia, stated this in an interview with Kommersant.
“As the ice melts and the accessibility of this region increases, there is an increase in the military presence and activity in the region of both Arctic states and non-Arctic NATO member countries. As a result, the potential for conflict is really growing in the Arctic. NATO countries are estimated to have doubled the number of military exercises and other high-latitude training activities over the past five years. The armed forces of non-Arctic countries—NATO members, as well as states not members of the North Atlantic Alliance—are increasingly being drawn into participation in them,” Korchunov said.
According to him, the entry into the Barents Sea in early May 2020 of a NATO strike group consisting of American and British ships under the pretext of “ensuring the security of trade and freedom of navigation” was “clearly provocative in nature.”
At the same time, the diplomat did not deny that the Russian Federation is also increasing its military presence in the Arctic, in particular, restoring Soviet military bases, deploying troops and weapons, and conducting exercises.
“The measures taken by the Russian Federation in the Arctic are due to the importance of this region for the national security and economy of our country, because more than 10% of GDP and 20% of Russian exports are produced in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. At the same time, our goal is to ensure security and stability for the implementation of large-scale economic projects and ensuring the socio-economic development of the Arctic zone in the context of growing interest in this region from a number of states, including non-Arctic ones.
Russia’s military activity in the Arctic does not violate any international obligations, is not directed against any of the countries of the Arctic region and does not create a threat to their national security,” the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized.
“Unlike a number of other countries, Russia consistently advocates the formation of a system of strict compliance with international law in the Arctic region, strictly adheres to the spirit and letter of the relevant conventions, and expresses interest in preserving the region as a zone of peace, stability and constructive cooperation, as reflected in the Ottawa Agreement declaration, as well as the joint final ministerial statement signed at the ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council in Rovaniemi on May 6, 2019,” Korchunov concluded.
Read also: Growing with the Arctic: How Russia will become No. 1 in the North.
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