Arctic cooperation | Russia stopped paying membership fees to the Arctic Council

Russia has stopped paying its membership fees to the Arctic Council, the Russian Foreign Ministry tells the state news agency Ria Novosti. The matter was reported by Reuters.

“Currently, Russia's annual payments to the Arctic Council budget have been suspended until the proper work in this format continues so that all member states are involved,” the ministry said.

Arctic the council suspended its activities in March 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. The council's activities have been continued in working groups, but a large part of the council's projects are on hold.

Russian according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia is not currently considering leaving the Arctic Council.

Last week, Russia hinted at the possibility of separation.

“We start from the fact that we must have all foreign policy options at our disposal, including resigning from the Arctic Council, if its activities do not correspond to Russia's interests”, special representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nikolai Korchunov said in an interview with Ria Novosti.

Also a spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova said that Russia would consider leaving the council if it developed into an “unfriendly institution for Russia”.

In the year The Arctic Council, founded in 1996, is the Arctic the largest cooperation forum in the region. It cooperates in matters concerning, for example, the indigenous peoples of the Arctic region, the environment and the climate. The Council has reached binding agreements, for example, in the area of ​​environmental protection.

Along with Russia, the members of the Arctic Council are Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Canada and the United States. The Arctic Council has traditionally tried to operate outside of superpower disputes, and according to experts, leaving the Council would not serve Russia's interests.