NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday that NATO cannot allow a security vacuum to occur in the Arctic, where the alliance sees an "increasing strategic race".
"We cannot afford a security vacuum in the Arctic," Stoltenberg said. "It could fuel Russian ambitions, expose NATO and lead to miscalculation and misunderstanding."
"We are also seeing a growing Chinese interest in the region," he added. "China has branded itself as a country near the North Pole, and is seeking to build a presence here."
Stoltenberg's words came during his visit to the Bardufoss base in northern Norway, where NATO is carrying out large-scale military exercises called "cold response".
He pointed out that Moscow has strengthened its military presence in the Arctic in recent years by modernizing its existing bases and building new ones, a clear indication that it intends to be a dominant player in the concerned region.
Russia's Kola Peninsula, bordering the Norwegian Arctic, is home to the Northern Fleet, with its massive concentration of nuclear weapons and numerous military installations.
"For all these reasons, the Arctic is a region of great importance to all NATO members. That is why NATO has strengthened its military presence in the north," said Stoltenberg, whose mandate was extended for an additional year due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the eastern flank of the alliance.
The "Cold Response 2022" exercises aim to test Norway's capabilities to receive allied reinforcements in the event of external aggression, in accordance with Article V of the Alliance Charter, which provides for mutual defense in the event of an attack by one of the allied countries.
"The cold response is an important exercise, in light of the senseless Russian attack on Ukraine," Stoltenberg added.
He also said: "We regret, of course, Russia's refusal to monitor these exercises, but we regret even more that Russia never invites us to participate in the obligatory monitoring and inspection of its maneuvers."
And he continued, "You have to remember that the war led by President Putin against Ukraine was disguised as exercises... Then suddenly the exercises turned into an all-out war."
In addition to its great strategic importance, the ecologically fragile Arctic region contains significant reserves of oil, gas and minerals.
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- Agencies