Russia has begun restoring Soviet military bases in the Arctic, says Kallas
Russia views the Arctic as a key region in global competition among nations, and its activities in the Far North—including missile tests and the restoration of Soviet military bases—demonstrate the strategic importance of this territory.
Russia is restoring former Soviet military bases and conducting missile tests in the Arctic, demonstrating increased attention to the region.
“It is restoring former Soviet military bases and conducting missile tests here in the Far North, clearly showing that this is a very important territory,” Kallas noted.
The EU High Representative also drew attention to the consequences of climate change. According to her, melting ice is opening up new sea routes that are gradually becoming increasingly important for other countries around the world.
“The growing competition among states here is truly unique,” Kallas emphasized.
She also highlighted the link between security and environmental protection. Among the threats posed by Russia, the EU representative specifically mentioned the so-called shadow fleet.
According to Kallas, it is not only a tool for circumventing restrictions but also an “environmental time bomb” that poses additional risks to the region.
The European Arctic Summit is taking place in Rovaniemi on September 13–14. The event was organized at the invitation of Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
Participants in the summit include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, Romanian President Nicușor Dan, and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barro.
Also present at the event were European Council President António Costa, Kaja Kallas, and European Commissioner for International Partnerships Josef Síkela.
This was announced by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas ahead of the European Arctic Summit in Finland.
NATO allies detected and intercepted Russian submarines in the Arctic that were planning to use secret weapons to damage critical undersea cables. As a result, Moscow was unable to carry out its planned sabotage.
Russia has assembled an unprecedentedly large fleet of about a dozen and a half tankers to transport nearly 8 million barrels of oil via the Northern Sea Route (NSR) to Asian countries. This volume accounts for approximately 60% of the total amount of crude oil delivered via this route during the entire navigation period last year.
