Regional tensions escalate in the Arctic due to military maneuvers from the U.S. and NATO countries, while Russia claims its work in the area is a threat to no one.
The spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, Maria Sakharova, issued a statement Friday, commenting on reports from the U.S. about Russia's "unprecedented military might in the Arctic," stressing the fact that Russia's actions in the Arctic region do not pose any threat and do not violate international laws, and regional tensions only escalate as a result of U.S. military activities.
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"Russia does not do anything in the Arctic that would contradict international law or pose a threat to other countries. If we talk about possible sources of the escalating regional tensions, it would be logical to say that this is the military activity of the U.S. and its allies in the Arctic, which is accompanied by belligerent rhetoric. NATO and its member states, including non-Arctic nations, stage provocations there, and it happens on an increasingly regular basis", Zakharova said at a briefing.
��#Zakharova : ����#Russia is not doing anything in the #Arctic that contradicts international law or threatens other countries.
— MFA Russia ���� (@mfa_russia) April 9, 2021
❗ It is the military activities of the ����#US and its allies that can be seen as the source of escalating tensions in the region. pic.twitter.com/2lvonBrMyS
Washington has announced plans to send a large military contingent to the area, including many F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and F-22 Raptors to Alaska, adding that the U.S. is determined to "protect its interests in the Arctic Ocean."
The Pentagon also said that the U.S. Navy would begin South China Sea-style patrols in the Russian Arctic maritime zones to challenge Moscow and Beijing.