MOSCOW: British military presence in arctic is a provocative act
Nikolay Korchunov, Chairman of the Senior Arctic Officials, Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Russian Federation has declared that the British military presence in arctic is a provocative act and increases military tension there.
The RIA Novosti news agency quoted Korchunov as saying in an interview today that this British presence and the presence of NATO members in the high latitudes escalates the situation in the region.
On China’s stance, Korchunov stressed that “Beijing, unlike NATO countries, traditionally adheres to a policy of military discipline in the Arctic and does not conduct military exercises in the region.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg had previously claimed that cooperation between Russia and China in the Arctic does not meet the interests of NATO countries, and for this reason the alliance is strengthening its presence in the region.
Basma Qaddour