“NATO needs to increase its presence in the Arctic,” Interfax quoted Stoltenberg as saying to the newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
He noted that Russia had recently stepped up its activities in the resource-rich area, "reopening Soviet-era bases" and "deploying and testing new advanced weapons there, such as hypersonic missiles."
Also, China has declared itself a “near-Arctic state” and is showing a growing interest in the Arctic, Stoltenberg expressed concern.
In early August, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin approved a plan for the development of the Northern Sea Route until 2035.
According to Mishustin, the main goal of the development of the Northern Sea Route is to ensure reliable and safe transportation of goods and goods for people living in the Far North, as well as create conditions for the implementation of investment projects in the Arctic zone of the country.