MOSCOW, Aug. 31: Russia views increased NATO military activity in the Arctic as a direct security threat, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an article published on Monday, as alliance members expand their presence in the region following Russia’s war in Ukraine.
NATO launched its Arctic Sentry mission in February to strengthen its presence in the far north, reflecting the alliance’s growing focus on the Arctic amid heightened tensions with Russia and U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland.
Russia, which maintains a naval fleet including nuclear-armed submarines in the Arctic, considers the region strategically important and is developing a shipping route linking its northern coast with Asian markets.
Moscow has previously criticized the Arctic Sentry mission. In the article published by Russia’s foreign ministry, Lavrov described NATO military exercises in the region as aggressive.
“Such military activity in the Far North poses direct threats to Russia’s security,” Lavrov said, adding that the risk of incidents that could lead to armed confrontation was increasing.
Russia has the largest military presence and most extensive military infrastructure in the Arctic. China has also increased its activity in the resource-rich region in recent years, largely through cooperation with Moscow.
Norway, which shares a border with Russia, expanded its Arctic military brigade this month, adding to moves by NATO members to strengthen their defence capabilities in the region following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Moscow has repeatedly rejected allegations that it poses a threat to NATO.
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