Putin claims that rivalries in the Arctic are growing, but there is still room for cooperation
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, said that although geopolitical rivalries in the Arctic are intensifying, cooperation is possible in the region, including between Moscow, and western states.
Putin made a reference to the stated intention of U.S. president Donald Trump to acquire Greenland. He said that this had nothing whatsoever to do with Russia, but it was obvious that the U.S. will continue to advance its interests in Arctic.
He said that the U.S. plans for Greenland are serious and have a long history.
He said that Russia was worried about the fact that "NATO nations in general" are increasingly using the Far North to launch possible conflicts. Russia is monitoring the situation, and preparing a response.
It is evident that both Russia and the world are becoming more interested in the Arctic. Unfortunately, geopolitical rivalry, or the struggle to gain positions in this area, is intensifying," said he.
Putin said that Russia has never threatened anyone on the Arctic but is prepared to defend their interests.
In a major address in Murmansk, the city in northern Russia, he assured foreign partners that they would get a good return on their investment if they were willing to work with Russia.
Putin has called for the expansion of Russia’s northern ports, and the construction of a merchant navy in the Arctic. This will be supported by new generation icebreakers, including those powered by nuclear power.
He said that Russia's current domestic capabilities are not sufficient for this, and it will also be necessary to buy vessels and interact with foreign shipbuilders.
Global warming could make it easier to access the fossil fuels and mineral deposits that lie beneath the Arctic's land and seabed. Defence analysts claim that Russia has consolidated its military presence in the Arctic much more quickly than its Western counterparts by reopening Soviet era bases and modernising their navy.
(source: Reuters)
