Russia to Create Special Military Force to Protect the Arctic
Russia’s Security Council released its Arctic strategy for the year 2020 this week. The strategy includes the authorization of a special military force to “guarantee Russia’s military security in diverse military and political circumstances”, like the country’s controversial claims to large portions of the Arctic shelf. With the possible opening of the NorthWest Passage and the subsequent opening of natural resource deposits, Russia has also been steadily pushing its claims to the Arctic.
According to a spokesman for Russia’s Security Council, while the strategy does include the deployment of military, border and coast guard units:
However, it does not mean that we are planning to militarize the Arctic. We are focusing on the creation of an effective system of coastal security, the development of arctic border infrastructure, and the presence of military units of an adequate strength…
The strategy also is concerned with ensuring that the Arctic shelf is delineated in a manner that respects Russia’s natural interests. Russia is only one of multiple Arctic nations including the United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway that have economic zones in the Arctic Ocean. And all of these countries are still intent on ensuring that their economic and territorial claims are respected considering the vast amounts of natural resources (hydrocarbons, minerals and metals) at stake.
The high Arctic has been central to a number of disputes between the Arctic nations in recent years, and the stakes are simply too high for any nation not to protect its sovereignty in the Arctic.
