Moscow would welcome a new EU Arctic policy if it is aimed at international cooperation and not confrontation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
– Russia is an Arctic nation and has major interests in the region, which it will not hesitate to defend, he told.
– Peskov was commenting on a recent statement by the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, who called for a “a fresh EU Arctic Policy” at the 2026 Arctic Frontiers Conference on Tuesday.
– Brussels needs to “ground this in strong partnerships,” she said.
– Kallas, however, framed Russia as a threat and not a potential partner in her speech, as she accused Moscow of turning the Arctic into a “testing ground for Russian missiles” and launching a “military buildup in the region.”
– “The Arctic region needs international cooperation,” Peskov said, commenting on Kallas’ words.
– If the EU seeks “confrontation, which is now fashionable in Brussels, we could hardly welcome that and it would hardly have any positive effect,” the Kremlin spokesman warned.
– “We are open for cooperation and partnership,” he said, adding that Russia also “has major interests in the Arctic [that] we will defend by using all the arsenal of international law.”
– In her speech, Kallas urged the EU to “catch up” with Russia’s military capabilities in the Arctic.
– EU member states that are NATO members should ensure that the EU’s security concerns align with those of NATO, including in the Arctic, she said.
– This comes amid NATO anti-submarine drills off the coast of Norway. Scheduled for February 2-24, Operation Arctic Dolphin is focused on detecting, tracking, and destroying submarines in an area used by the Russian Northern Fleet to enter the Atlantic,
– The drill is a part of a race to secure the region for the US-led bloc, US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s supreme allied commander in Europe, told.
– It involves ships, submarines, and aircraft from Spain, Germany, France, the UK, and Norway among other nations.
https://www.rt.com/news/632018-arctic-policy-eu-cooperation