NYT: The United States and NATO are concerned about a possible threat from the Russian Northern Fleet
The United States and NATO are afraid of Russia's Northern Fleet in the Arctic, the American media write. According to the author of the material, climate change in the Far North is changing transport routes and intensifying competition between the countries of the region. NATO is vulnerable in the Arctic, while Russia has significantly strengthened its position in the Arctic Circle, the expert added. Recently, the Russian Foreign Ministry has regularly stated that NATO is interested in the Arctic region.
The key task of NATO should be to contain Russia in the Arctic region. Stephen Erlanger, a columnist for The New York Times, expressed this opinion in his article.
The journalist added that climate change in the Arctic entails the emergence of new sea routes, against which competition between regional powers is growing.
"The United States fears that the new Russian fleet will pass through the straits between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom, cut sea lanes and submarine cables in the Atlantic Ocean, and threaten the coast of America with cruise missiles," the article says.
The importance of the Arctic is also increasing due to the fact that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is taking part in an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Norway on June 1.
On May 26, Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry Nikolai Korchunov expressed regret over the increase in conflict in the Arctic region, TASS reports.
On May 15, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that "since Finland is located in the north of Europe, it means that this will spur NATO's ambitions to militarize the Arctic."
On May 14, the Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nikolai Korchunov said that Moscow sees no signs of improvement in the situation in the field of military security in the Arctic, as the "expansion of NATO" continues in this region.
According to him, the alliance is increasing the scale of military exercises in this region, increasing military potential in high latitudes, at the same time, Western countries are strengthening their course towards "confrontation, confrontation and promotion of their own interests in the Arctic to the detriment of the interests of others."
On March 22, Korchunov stressed that Russia sees an increase in military tension in the region, the way NATO exercises have become more intense, the range of tasks that these exercises solve has expanded. "All this cannot but alarm us, that is, the growth of tension in the face," Korchunov said.
On March 14, Bloomberg reported that the NATO military is experiencing problems due to climate change during exercises in the Arctic. It is noted that NATO member states are interested in the Arctic in connection with the Ukrainian conflict and the strengthening of Russian and Chinese forces in the region.
According to the agency, the Pentagon Inspector General, after studying the readiness of military bases in the Arctic and subarctic areas, concluded that insufficient efforts are being made to adapt to climate change.
As Bloomberg writes,
On March 13, Andreas Esthagen, a researcher at the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen Institute, told Bloomberg that tensions around the Arctic will increase after Sweden and Finland join NATO.
The article says that if Russia wants to be a "great power", then it needs a very powerful security system, as well as martial law in the Arctic.
At the end of February, the Task and Purpose portal reported that the American military, who are involved in the NATO exercise "Arctic Forge 23" in Finland, are forced to jump into icy water to practice combat operations in the Arctic.
According to the publication, the training program also includes skiing and shooting in the snow. In addition, soldiers learn to set up camp in the snow and survive. According to the commander of the US army in Europe and Africa, General Darryl Williams, the main task of the exercises is to help the troops be ready for winter conflicts.
"We must win any battle, especially in the Arctic," General Williams stressed.
Peter Nikolaev
