Russia views growing NATO activity in the Arctic as a direct threat to its security, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday, as alliance members increase their military presence in the region following Russia’s war on Ukraine.
NATO launched a mission called Arctic Sentry in February to strengthen its presence in the Far North, reflecting the alliance’s increased focus on the Arctic amid heightened tensions with Russia and US President Donald Trump’s push for the acquisition of Greenland.
Russia has a naval fleet in the Arctic, including nuclear-armed submarines, and regards the region as a sphere of strategic interest. Moscow is also developing a shipping route through the Arctic intended to strengthen connections with Asian nations.
Moscow has previously protested against the Arctic Sentry mission. In an article published by the Russian foreign ministry, Lavrov, President Vladimir Putin’s long-standing foreign minister, described NATO military exercises in the region as “aggressive”.
“Such military activity in the Far North poses direct threats to Russia’s security. The risks of incidents that could trigger an armed confrontation, with potentially catastrophic consequences, are increasing,” Lavrov said.
The warning comes as military activity and strategic competition in the Arctic increase. Russia has the largest military presence and the most extensive military infrastructure in the region, while China has also expanded its activity in the mineral-rich Arctic in recent years, mainly in partnership with Moscow.
NATO members have meanwhile continued to strengthen their own defence capabilities in the region. Norway, which shares a border with Russia, expanded a recently created military brigade headquartered in the Arctic this month, marking the latest move by a NATO member to increase its defence footprint following the Ukraine war, which Russia started in 2022.
The Arctic has consequently become an increasingly important area of military and strategic competition. NATO’s efforts to strengthen its presence are viewed by Moscow through the prism of Russia’s security interests and its established military position in the region.
Lavrov’s remarks also reflect Moscow’s longstanding objections to NATO military activity close to areas Russia considers strategically important. Russia has previously dismissed allegations that it poses a threat to NATO.
The competing military moves have increased the importance of the Arctic in relations between Russia and NATO, with Moscow warning that further activity could increase the possibility of incidents escalating into armed confrontation.
