EU to increase security spending in Arctic, EU council president says

The European Union plans to increase investment in the Arctic region and strengthen security measures amid rising geopolitical tensions and Russia’s actions, European Council President António Costa has said.

Speaking at the first European Arctic Summit in Rovaniemi, Finland, he stressed that the Arctic is of strategic importance to the security of the entire EU, not only its Arctic member states — Finland, Sweden and Denmark, Caliber.Az reports.

He described Russia as the main source of destabilisation in the region, noting that its actions pose threats to international law, sovereignty and freedom of navigation.

“Indeed, the Arctic is another victim of the weakening of the multilateral system. Sovereignty and the respect of territorial integrity can no longer be taken for granted, and fundamental concepts of international law, such as freedom of navigation, are challenged. And Russia, the largest Arctic nation, is one of the main drivers of this trend,“ he stated.

The European Council says it plans to increase funding for the Arctic in its next long-term budget.

The funds are expected to be allocated to protecting critical infrastructure, developing transport and digital networks, and extracting critical raw materials to strengthen Europe’s strategic autonomy.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov