US, WASHINGTON (ORDO NEWS) — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that a “new theater of conflict” could emerge in the Arctic due to Russia‘s growing role.
“Climate change could create new theaters of conflict. In February, a Russian gas tanker sailed the Arctic Northern Sea Route for the first time in history.
Until recently, this route was only navigated a few weeks a year. is getting longer, “Blinken said in his speech on climate.
According to the secretary of state, Russia “is exploiting these changes to try to establish control over new spaces, modernizing its bases in the Arctic and building new ones, including one 300 miles from Alaska.”
According to Blinken, China is also increasing its presence in the Arctic.
Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu noted that the United States is increasing the presence of warships in the Arctic.
According to him, the military-political situation in the region is complicated by the competition of the leading countries of the world for access to resources and transport communications.
Russia is actively developing the Northern Fleet to strengthen its defense capability and ensure its national interests in the Arctic, he stressed.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also expressed concern that the United States is increasing its military presence in the Arctic region, and noted that Moscow advocates that it remains a field for peaceful cooperation.
– Pentagon tracking of Russia’s activity in the Arctic –
The United States is closely monitoring Russia’s activity in the Arctic and intends to defend its national interests in the region, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Monday.
“I will not go into our intelligence data. Of course, we are closely monitoring the situation. Neither side would like to see the militarization of the Arctic. At the same time, we recognize that Artika is a key area that is critical for our defense interests,” he said.
Kirby during a regular briefing on the question of whether the Pentagon is concerned about the “activity” of the Russian military in the Arctic.
He confirmed that the United States is “committed to protecting its national interests in the Arctic.”
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