European leaders discuss Arctic security in Finland
In Rovaniemi, Finland, European leaders at the Arctic Summit discussed intensifying geopolitical competition in the region, where melting ice is opening new sea routes and intensifying the struggle for natural resources. The two-day meeting, which began on Sunday, was attended mainly by representatives of Northern European and Baltic countries, Korea Herald reports.
Security challenges
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the Arctic a “geopolitical hotspot.” According to him, the Russian Federation, an aggressor state, is building up military capabilities in the region and using its presence every day for hybrid activities. Merz stated that the European Union's renewed focus on the Arctic should complement NATO's work.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, whose country hosted the summit, said there is strong demand for concrete EU action in the Arctic amid changes in the security environment. He noted that the Arctic has become a central arena of great-power competition.
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Routes and EU policy
The meeting took place after Norway seized a Russian vessel earlier this month in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard at Ukraine's request. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the decision.
The analytical group Centers for European Policy Network indicated that the summit's agenda is being shaped by accelerating climate change, growing Chinese trade through the Arctic, and the conflict around the Strait of Hormuz, which has increased the importance of the Northeast Passage for maritime transport. According to the group, the summit is preparation for an update to the EU's Arctic policy expected in the autumn; security is set to become the central element of this strategy for the first time.
Separately, Finnish President Alexander Stubb announced that the country is joining the French “advanced deterrence” program, aimed at using France's nuclear arsenal for Europe's defense. Ten countries have already joined it, including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Finland's Northern European neighbors.
