Moscow. June 22. INTERFAX-Russia will continue to work to strengthen its group in the Arctic and equip it with modern weapons in response to attempts by foreign countries to destabilize the situation in this region, Deputy head of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday.
"We need to continue, of course, the work that has been carried out in recent years - both to strengthen the grouping of Russian troops, and to equip this group with modern weapons," Medvedev said at a meeting of the interdepartmental commission of the Security Council of the Russian Federation on ensuring Russia's national interests in the Arctic.
He noted: "In any case, this will be an effective response to the attempts of foreign countries to destabilize the situation in the Arctic and create conditions for anti-Russian provocations."
He stressed that a number of countries do not abandon attempts to significantly limit Russia's activities in the Arctic, and there are always some claims. "They strive to fight for access, of course, to the natural resources of the Arctic Ocean, and to establish control over the strategic sea and air communications of the Arctic," the deputy head of the Russian Security Council stressed.
He recalled that far-fetched and senseless accusations are periodically made against Russia, "that we are not able to ensure the safe operation of transport, oil and gas, and industrial complexes." "In this context, Russia is subject to sanctions pressure, the purpose of which is to complicate the implementation of our national and infrastructure projects in the Arctic, to reduce the volume of exports of products from the Arctic zone. At the same time, there is an increase in the foreign military presence near our borders, which is aimed at deterring our country," Medvedev said.
He stressed that such a policy is absolutely unacceptable, "as it creates direct threats to national security, can lead to an aggravation of the situation as a whole."
