Russia is concerned about the onset of NATO in the Arctic and plans to raise this issue at a meeting of the Arctic Council, which will be held in Reykjavik on May 20. This was stated by the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a press conference, the broadcast of which was conducted by the RT TV channel in Youtube.
Responding to the concern of the West of Russia’s military activity in the Arctic, Lavrov recalled that this is the Russian territory, and therefore Moscow has the right to do everything necessary to ensure its own security. “But when NATO is trying to justify his offensive in the Arctic, this is probably a little different situation, and here we have questions about our neighbors as Norway, for example, which is in every way to justify the need to arrive in the Arctic,” said Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry reproached Norway in the militarization of the Arctic after on May 10, the US nuclear submarine arrived at the civilian harbor of Tromso in the north of Norway. The representative of the department Maria Zakharov accused Oslo in the injection of tensions in the region, which she tied up with the country’s desire to please their NATO partners.
In April, CNN TV channel stated that Russia allegedly enhances an unprecedented military presence and experiencing the latest weapons in the Arctic. The publication has published satellite images, from which it follows that Russia strengthens the airfields and military bases on the Arctic coast, and also tightens military equipment and fighters to the region. In the material it is argued that Russia has two goals: to protect the north of the country and launch northern seaside shipping.