"Ideological training": NATO advocated the creation of rules of conduct for the armed forces in the Arctic

To avoid the growth of tensions in the Arctic, the West needs to resume interaction with Russia, and also begin to formulate general rules of conduct for the armed forces in the region. This proposal is made by experts of the NATO Defense College.

As noted in the document, Russia's military presence in the Arctic is determined by the changing geopolitical situation and cannot be considered in isolation from the growing tensions with the West, and therefore the period when the region was considered a zone of depoliticized cooperation is coming to an end.

Western military and politicians, according to the Alliance Defense College, should begin to discuss the regulatory framework governing military security in the Arctic. Analysts believe that Russia's chairmanship in the Arctic Council from 2021 to 2023 can provide such an opportunity. In addition, the report states that the West should also take up the formation of general rules of conduct for the armed forces in the Arctic under new conditions.

“The Arctic countries need to understand that the growth of military activity, especially from Russia, can lead to the same geopolitical and military tensions (in the region - RT ) between Russia and the West, which already exists in other areas. If an incident in one direction affects the other, the Arctic should remain a region of "low tension." To reduce the risk of an incorrect assessment of the situation, it is necessary to adhere to two priorities: the resumption of interaction with Russia and the formation of general rules of conduct for the armed forces in the Arctic, ”the authors of the document write.

• Arctic Council meeting
• Reuters
• © Mandel Ngan / Pool

Meanwhile, Moscow has repeatedly called for interaction on regional issues. Thus, earlier the Russian Foreign Ministry advocated the formation of an international partnership for the preservation of the Arctic as a zone of peace and low military tensions.

“Restrict Russia's actions in the Arctic”

According to a report by the NATO Defense College, Moscow seeks to control the military activity of foreign countries in the Arctic, but so far the buildup of the Russian military force in the region is defensive in nature.

“Of course, in the military-operational sense, the Russian Arctic is not an exception for Moscow. The perception of a threat in the Arctic remains for the Russian leadership the same as in other areas. It seeks to steadily control the military activity of foreign states in the Russian Arctic and to provide approaches for the Russian Armed Forces, in particular the Northern Fleet. The buildup of Russian military forces in the Russian Arctic and the Kremlin’s intentions are (at least for the moment) defensive in nature, ”the document says.

According to the experts of the alliance, the main goal of “building up the Russian military force” in the Arctic zone of Russia is to protect the Kola Peninsula along the perimeter. However, the document emphasizes that the Russian concept of defense "Bastion", built "on the deployment of a layered system to prohibit enemy operations at sea", represents a real threat to NATO aircraft carrier groups, which could potentially affect the freedom of action of the alliance.

• Soldiers during tactical exercises using the anti-ship missile complex "Bastion"
• RIA News
• © Igor Zarembo

The alliance is trying to equalize opportunities in the region, said Dmitry Solonnikov, director of the Institute of Contemporary State Development, in a conversation with RT. That is why NATO is seeking to limit Russia's actions in the Arctic, including in the exclusively Russian economic zone.

“Russia has the sad experience of the 20th century, when the absence of serious military forces in the Arctic zone led to the fact that Western countries, primarily Norway, were engaged in overt plunder of Russian biological natural resources. Only the transfer of warships in the 30s to the White and the Barents Seas was able to stop this mess. At that time, no one in Europe said that it was necessary to stop these illegal actions, everyone turned a blind eye to this. Indeed, in order to preserve its sovereignty and be able to do its work on its territory, Russia needs to seriously protect its borders. When it comes to ensuring the security of Russia, no one in the world is worried about writing any rules. When Russia strengthens, the question of writing some codes is raised, ”the expert emphasized.

"Preparation of public opinion"

According to political analyst Alexander Asafov, such reports, which comprise various NATO military experts, are preparing public opinion for the Alliance’s more decisive actions in the Arctic. As the expert noted, the emphasis in assessing the activities of Russia in the region can be shifted at any time.

“This is certainly not only preparatory measures of a near-war nature, but also the preparation of public opinion for more decisive actions in the Arctic. But not in the near future. Nevertheless, context-binding is created for such concepts as “Arctic”, “military force”, “weaponry” and so on. The whole set of these judgments is tied together - even if by some rather external, contouring events, such as the creation of a certain military code, ”the expert emphasized.

According to Asafov, it is obvious that the activities of Russia in the region, including progress in the development of the Arctic space, worry NATO. He noted that the Arctic in the long term may become a "field of future conflicts."

“It is obvious that preparations are already underway in the diplomatic field, both internationally and in this ideological one,” he added.

Thus, in June of this year, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a joint press conference with Icelandic Prime Minister Catherine Jacobdsdouttir announced an increase in the Russian military presence in the Arctic.

Meanwhile, back in May, John Bolton, an adviser to the American president on national security, called for a “challenge” to Russia's military influence in the Arctic. As Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, commenting on Bolton’s words, the United States is trying to transform the Arctic into a theater of military operations.

“Judging by the militant rhetoric, the prevailing line was the transformation of the region into a theater of military operations and the escalation of tensions. It is no coincidence that the emphasis is on military methods, on increasing military spending in the Arctic, on attempts to undermine the trust and atmosphere of multilateral Arctic cooperation, ”said Maria Zakharova.