UK eyeing permanent Arctic military presence
The British government may be considering establishing a permanent military presence in the Arctic due to the perceived threat from Russia, The Telegraph has reported, citing 'speculation' around the forthcoming Strategic Defence Review.
While NATO has been actively ramping up its military capabilities in the region, London has made a point of strengthening individual partnerships with Norway and Iceland.
Russia has repeatedly insisted that NATO's continuing militarization of the Arctic is unwarranted, and that Moscow will have to mirror its moves to maintain the balance.
In an article on Wednesday, The Telegraph claimed that 'there is speculation that Labour's forthcoming Strategic Defence Review will result in British forces being permanently stationed in the Arctic.' The newspaper referred to a broad review that was commissioned by the Labour government last year.
On Tuesday, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy began a visit to Norway and Iceland, where the further military buildup of the Arctic is topping his agenda.
In a post on X the following day, he wrote that the 'Arctic is NATO's northern flank.'
Speaking to The Telegraph, Lammy stated that the region is 'fast becoming an area of intense focus for geopolitical competition,' and further claimed that 'Russia has been building up its military presence here for years.'
The British newspaper quoted Ed Arnold from the Royal United Services Institute, a London-based think tank, as saying that with the Russian military currently busy in Ukraine, NATO should seize the opportunity now to 'ensure supremacy in the Arctic.'
In April, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte revealed that member states were 'working together' in the Arctic to 'defend this part of NATO territory.'
The same month, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the French weekly Le Point that Russia was taking measures to address the buildup of NATO forces in Northern Europe.
Finland abandoned its longstanding policy of neutrality and became a NATO member in April 2023, citing security concerns over the Ukraine conflict. Sweden followed suit in 2024.
In late March, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Moscow is 'concerned by the fact that NATO countries as a whole are more frequently designating the far north as a bridgehead for possible conflicts.'
'I would like to emphasize that Russia has never threatened anyone in the Arctic,' the Russian president clarified. He stressed, however, that Moscow would 'reliably protect' its interests in the region.
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