Russia Weighs in on EU Arctic Strategy
Peskov responded to recent remarks from the bloc's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, who advocated for a "a fresh EU Arctic Policy" during her address at the 2026 Arctic Frontiers Conference Tuesday. The continent must "ground this in strong partnerships," she stated.
However, Kallas portrayed Russia as an adversary rather than collaborative partner, charging Moscow with transforming the Arctic into a "testing ground for Russian missiles" and pursuing a "military buildup in the region."
"The Arctic region needs international cooperation," Peskov remarked in response to Kallas' address. Should the EU pursue "confrontation, which is now fashionable in Brussels, we could hardly welcome that and it would hardly have any positive effect," the Kremlin spokesman cautioned.
"We are open for cooperation and partnership," he declared, noting that Russia simultaneously "has major interests in the Arctic [that] we will defend by using all the arsenal of international law."
During her presentation, Kallas pressed the EU to "catch up" with Russia's military capacity in the Arctic. EU nations that hold NATO membership must align the union's security priorities with NATO's, including Arctic concerns, she emphasized.
The statements coincide with ongoing NATO anti-submarine warfare exercises off Norway's coastline. Running February 2-24, Operation Arctic Dolphin concentrates on detecting, tracking, and destroying submarines in waters the Russian Northern Fleet utilizes for Atlantic access, media reported Wednesday.
The exercise represents part of a competitive push to control the region for the US-led alliance, US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe, informed media. Participating forces include vessels, submarines, and aviation assets from Spain, Germany, France, the UK, and Norway among additional countries, the report detailed.
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