A peaceful, stable, prosperous, and cooperative Arctic region is of critical strategic importance to the United States
– He Said US Department of State.
United State According to him, the country has long been It is committed to protecting the economic interests of the region, combating climate change, encouraging investments, and cooperating with Arctic nations. The eight Arctic countries are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the United States. If the accession negotiations between Sweden and Finland succeed, then Seven of the eight countries will become members of NATO.
Press conference of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday Highlight it Russia has reopened hundreds of Soviet-era military facilities in the region. The strategic challenge of the Secretary-General He called for the concentration of Russian weapons in the region.
Moscow stores missiles, launchers, and weapons systems at local military bases.
February 24 in Russia His invasion of Ukraine heightened Western concerns about Russian ambitions around the world. Within this framework, the Canadian-US joint defense organization, NORAD, has taken the initiative to cooperate and share information with NATO.
It has always been clear to everyone that this is our land, this is our land.
– Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said recently, which only reinforced the suspicions of the United States and NATO.
For Russian missiles and bombers, the shortest path to America will be to the North Pole. This makes NORAD’s role vital to America, and thus also to NATO
– to caution Stoltenberg.
to China Also has ambitions in the region stated that He wants to build the Silk Road in the Arctic. For the legal basis for this Beijing itself as a country close to the North Pole Is characterized by. Stoltenberg expressed concern about this
China plans to build the world’s largest fleet of icebreakers for shipping and resource exploration.
Because of climate change, the importance of the Arctic increases as the ice melts, making the region more accessible for both economic and military activity.
– It is to explain Stoltenberg.
By the way, it is difficult to reconcile oil production in the region with climate change. Arctic ice plays an important role in maintaining the ecosystem. The crystalline form of the ice, free of dust and carbon pollution, increases light reflection and cools the planet through evaporation, maintaining its average temperature. However, oil and mineral deposits can only be accessed when the surface has melted.
By the way, the region hides huge resources under the ice shield: here there are a third of the world’s natural gas reserves and 16 percent of crude oil reserves.
Cover image source: Shutterstock
