According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, cooperation between China and Russia in the Arctic poses a threat to the interests and values of the North Atlantic Alliance. He stated that the main goal of NATO is to maintain security, stability and conditions for cooperation in the Arctic, for which the alliance is increasing its presence in this territory.
“Russia has greatly increased its military activity in recent years, creating a new Arctic Command, opening hundreds of new and former Soviet military installations in the Arctic, including airfields and deep water ports, and using the region as a testing ground for new weapons” , Stoltenberg said in a statement. He said, Russia can use its positions in the Arctic to disable NATO infrastructure.
“Earlier this year, Beijing and Moscow committed to intensify practical cooperation in the Arctic as part of a deepening strategic partnership that challenges our values and interests,” the alliance’s secretary general added.
According to Jens Stoltenberg, China is "expanding its presence" in the region and is trying to create a "Polar Silk Road" to connect China and Europe through the Arctic.
Stoltenberg also referred to the possible membership of Finland and Sweden to NATO, noting that it will strengthen the positions of the alliance in the north.
"The entry of Finland and Sweden into the alliance will mean that seven out of eight Arctic countries are NATO members. Such a perspective will also strengthen the positions of the Baltic allies," Stoltenberg emphasized.
He added that NATO is interested in maintaining security and stability in the Far North. "The Arctic is a gateway to the North Atlantic, through which trade and transport key routes connecting Europe and North America pass," the NATO Secretary General concluded.
