US: Russia militarizes the Arctic. This is how Putin responded

GENEVA, BM, ($1= rubles) – The United States believes that Russia is interested in greater militarization of the Arctic, while Washington wants the region to remain a region of peaceful cooperation.

• Russia creates Arctic defense dome using S-400 defense missile systems
• Washington is concerned by the Russian military facilities in the Arctic
• The State Department saw in Russia’s actions in the Arctic a threat to NATO

“They (Russia) declare that they share our conviction that the Arctic should remain a zone of peaceful cooperation. (…) But we have two problems. One of them is the steps that we see Russia taking, assuming that it is interested in greater militarization of the region, and we believe this directly contradicts our stated desire to ensure that the Arctic remains a zone of peaceful cooperation,” a senior US administration official said at a briefing. was distributed by the State Department.

He cited the Northern Sea Route as another problem. “Because the ice is melting so fast and because the road has already traveled for a much longer period of the year, it will increase traffic, and it can increase the potential for accidents, misunderstandings, miscalculations. And therefore we believe there is a reality there was a need for a clear understanding of traffic rules,” the official said.

“We will have to see if there are ways, both inside and outside the Arctic Council, to overcome some of these differences,” he added.

The official said that US President Joe Biden and Russian leader Vladimir Putin discussed the issue of cooperation in the Arctic during the June 16 summit in Geneva. “We declare our determination to preserve the Arctic as a region for peaceful cooperation. And there has been a discussion about that,” he said.

At the same time, at the briefing with journalists after the bilateral meeting, the Russian president answered the issue with the Arctic.

“The American side’s fears about the militarization of the Arctic have absolutely no basis, Putin said. We are not doing anything there that was not in the Soviet Union. We are rebuilding infrastructure that was once destroyed, infrastructure related to nature conservation” he said.

He then noted that Russia has the sovereign right not to allow ships into the inland waters of the Northern Sea Route, but does not abuse it.

We remind you that since last year, Russia has been taking steps to strengthen its military presence in the region. Military helicopters were sent, new military buildings were built, and S-400 air defense systems were deployed. Russia has sent several regiments to the area and is already testing specially manufactured drones to operate at very low temperatures, and they will also be stationed there.

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