Oslo (agencies)
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that the alliance cannot allow a security vacuum to occur in the Arctic, where he sees an “increasing strategic race”.
“We cannot afford a security vacuum in the Arctic,” Stoltenberg said, “that could fuel Russian ambitions, expose NATO and lead to miscalculation and misunderstanding.”
He added, “We also see a growing Chinese interest in the region, and China has classified itself as a country close to the North Pole, and is seeking to build a presence here.”
Stoltenberg’s words came during his visit to the Bardufoss base in northern Norway, where NATO is carrying out large-scale military exercises in the name of “cold response.”
He pointed out that Moscow has strengthened its military presence in the Arctic in recent years, by modernizing its current bases and building new ones, a clear indication that it intends to be a dominant player in the concerned region.
Russia’s Kola Peninsula, bordering the Norwegian Arctic, is home to the Northern Fleet, with its massive concentration of nuclear weapons and numerous military installations.
“For all these reasons, the Arctic is an area of critical importance to all NATO members,” said Stoltenberg, whose mandate was extended for an additional year due to the Russian attack on Ukraine, the eastern flank of the alliance. Therefore, NATO has strengthened its military presence in the North.
“Cold response is an important exercise, given Russia’s senseless attack on Ukraine,” Stoltenberg added.
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