NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance should strengthen its role in the Arctic, taking into account the intensification of Russian and Chinese actions there.
“NATO should increase its presence in the Arctic region,” he told Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
He added that Russia recently stepped up its work in the resource-rich region and “reopened Soviet-era bases” and “deployed and tested advanced weapons there, including hypersonic missiles.”
He also noted that China, which has declared itself a “near-Arctic country”, is also showing increasing interest in this region due to its growing importance for shipping in light of climate change.
“Beijing and Moscow have also agreed to intensify operational work in the Arctic region,” Stoltenberg said during his visit to Canada last week. “This is part of a deepening strategic partnership that challenges our values and interests.”
He pointed to NATO’s growing interest in protecting the region, especially in light of the close entry of Sweden and Finland into the alliance.
For its part, the US State Department announced that the US plans to establish an ambassador to the North Pole to motivate US policy there.
Source: Interfax