Washington-Sana
The Russian embassy in Washington stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation in the Arctic and not military competition, calling on the United States to abandon "counterproductive rhetoric."
"We have paid our attention to the statements of the US Northern Command about Washington's plans to expand its military presence and infrastructure in the Arctic, with reference to the alleged growth of strategic competition between great powers," a statement issued by the embassy said, quoted by TASS news agency today.
"We consider the Arctic to be a unique region where the peaceful interests of all countries are combined and instead of military competition we need closer cooperation to combat the effects of global warming, protect the interests of indigenous peoples and preserve biodiversity," she added.
The embassy pointed out that "Russia, like any other country, realizes the importance of ensuring security in the region, as it owns a third of the area of the Arctic region, more than half of the population, and about 70 percent of its economic activity, and for us there is no alternative to its sustainable development."
The embassy called on the US side to "abandon the counterproductive rhetoric and return to mutually beneficial cooperation for the benefit of future generations."
And the commander of the US Northern Command, Glenn Vanhork, announced yesterday that "the United States expects to increase its presence in the Arctic significantly over the next few years, including an increase in the number of icebreakers at its disposal."
Vanhorek admitted that Russia currently has much greater potential than the United States in the Arctic, considering that "Washington can compensate for this by attracting its allies."
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