Russia warns against militarization of Arctic
Commenting on Denmark’s decision to strengthen its military capacities in the Arctic, a high-ranking Russian Foreign Ministry representative this week warned against an arms race in the region.
In a press briefing on Tuesday this week, Foreign Ministry representative Andrey Nesterenko said his ministry keeps a close eye on the Danish domestic political discussion and the cross-party agreement on military investments, which includes a higher military engagement in the Arctic.
-Russia is against the start of an arms race in the Arctic region and as an alternative proposes extended international cooperation in the north on issues of safe shipping, search and rescue and prevention of ecological catastrophe, Mr Nesterov said, Regnum reports.
As BarentsObserver reported this week, the Danish parliament in its cross-party consensus document on military spending in the period 2010-2014 proposes the establishment of an Arctic military command structure and task force ready to operate all over the Arctic.
Critics say that also Russia’s document on the “Principles for Russian politics in the Arctic in the period to 2020 and in a further perspective”, adopted last fall, includes a stronger military engagement in the Arctic. However, that has on several occasions been rebuffed by the Russian government.
