Stoltenberg: NATO must bolster its Arctic defence due to actions of Russia, China

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has announced the need for the alliance to strengthen its presence in the Arctic.

He explained this by the fact that Russia has recently become more active in this region, Welt am Sonntag reports.

According to Stoltenberg, China is also demonstrating its interest in the Arctic.

“Beijing and Moscow also agreed to intensify practical activities in the Arctic. This is part of a deepening strategic partnership that challenges our values and interests,” Stoltenberg said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag.

Russia has opened Soviet-era bases in the Arctic, and deployed and tested new advanced weapons there, such as hypersonic missiles, according to the NATO Secretary General.

“NATO needs to increase its presence in the Arctic,” he said.

He also noted NATO's growing interest in Arctic defence amidst Sweden and Finland joining the alliance.

In October 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the strategy for the development of the Arctic until 2035. According to the strategy, Russian troops in the Arctic zone should be equipped with modern weapons. In the same year, he announced that Russia would “grow” with the Arctic and the North in the coming decades.

In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the Belt and Road Initiative. One of its projects is the Ice Silk Road, which China will build to Europe through the Arctic. As part of this project, China, together with Russia, is developing the Northern Sea Route. Until 2035, the Russian government will allocate 1.8 trillion roubles (over $29.8 billion) for its development.