West and Russia Engage in Tensions Over the Arctic

Arctic Council Russian Ambassador: "Last Month's NATO Military Exercise Raised Tensions in the Arctic Region"

[Photo by AP Yonhap News] [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The West and Russia, clashing over Ukraine, are also engaged in a standoff over the Arctic.

Recently, Nikolai Korchunov, Russia's ambassador to the Arctic Council, said in an interview with TASS news agency, "Military activities by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), including non-member countries, in high-latitude regions inevitably cause unease," adding, "This not only creates unintended security risks but also can harm the fragile Arctic ecosystem."

Last month, NATO forces conducted a large-scale cold-weather response exercise near Norway's border with Russia, held once every two years. Thirty thousand soldiers from 27 countries participated in the exercise, including Sweden and Finland, which are not NATO members but are currently considering joining NATO.

The Arctic Council is an international consultative body where eight countries with sovereignty over the Arctic (Norway, Denmark, Russia, the United States, Sweden, Iceland, Canada, and Finland) discuss issues related to the Arctic.

Russia currently holds the chairmanship. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the other seven countries have refused to attend Arctic Council meetings. Russia is dissatisfied with the increasing NATO military activities in the Arctic region.

Ambassador Korchunov said, "The increase in NATO activities in the Arctic is concerning," adding, "Recently, a large-scale joint military exercise was held in northern Norway, which does not contribute to ensuring the safety of the region."

Among the eight Arctic Council countries, five?excluding Sweden, Finland, and Russia?are NATO members. Sweden and Finland are considering NATO membership following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and public support for their NATO accession has increased. If Sweden and Finland join NATO, all Arctic Council countries except Russia will be NATO members.

Ambassador Korchunov said, "NATO's expansion by using traditionally non-aligned countries does not contribute to the security and mutual trust in the Arctic that Russia has consistently emphasized."

The fact that large underground resources are buried in the Arctic is expected to increase tensions between Russia and the West in the long term. The Royal Institute of International Affairs in the UK estimates that the Arctic's oil reserves could reach 90 billion barrels. The U.S. Geological Survey has reported that one-fifth of the world's natural gas may be buried beneath the Arctic ice sheet. Paradoxically, global warming is melting glaciers, making human access to the Arctic easier. There are also forecasts that competition over resources could lead to conflicts.

Professor Katarzyna Zysk of the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment said, "The world's fifth-largest sea is opening," adding, "Once that sea opens, it will be used for economic and military purposes."

In 2014, Russia established a new Joint Strategic Command responsible for Arctic defense. The headquarters of the new Joint Strategic Command is located on the Kola Peninsula, near the Finnish border.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.