NATO increasing military presence in the Arctic

Russia has maintained it will defend its interests in the region

NATO is planning to increase its military presence in the Arctic around Greenland, a spokesperson for the US-led military bloc has announced.

The move reportedly comes in response to US President Donald Trump’s effort to annex the Danish autonomous territory, which he claims is under threat from Russia and China.

Russia has maintained that it has no stake in the feud over Greenland, but stressed that it will defend its interests in the broader Arctic.

“Planning work is underway on increased NATO activity under the name ‘Arctic Sentry’,” spokesperson for the bloc’s top military command in Europe, Martin O’Donnell, told reporters on Tuesday, according to multiple outlets. The exercise will “further strengthen NATO’s posture in the Arctic and High North,” he said.

The idea for the mission arose as a way to appease Trump after his claims that Russia and China could capture the island, according to Der Spiegel.

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Both Moscow and Beijing have dismissed the accusations, with China arguing that the US is merely using the claims as a pretext for a military buildup in the Arctic.

EU officials have also rejected Trump’s claim. Last week, EU transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas noted that there was no evidence that “foreign adversaries” were targeting Greenland.

Russia already has widespread access to the region, as it possesses more than half of the global Arctic coastline. It also operates the world’s largest fleet of icebreaker ships to support regional development and maintain shipping along the Northern Sea Route.

However, Western governments are now increasingly relying on “illegitimate sanctions aimed at hindering the development of the Russian Arctic,” and favoring the “use of force” to secure their interests, Russian Foreign Ministry official Vladislav Maslennikov has said.

READ MORE: No evidence Greenland faces foreign threat – EU transport chief

Russia “will continue to firmly defend its position in the region,” and will retaliate against any attempts to supplant its national interests in the Arctic, “especially in terms of security,” he told RIA in an interview published on Wednesday.