NATO Eyes “Next Steps” to Safeguard Arctic
"All allies agree on the importance of the Arctic and Arctic security, because we know that with sea lanes opening up, there is a risk that the Russians and the Chinese will be more active. And as you know, there are eight Arctic countries," Rutte told journalists during a joint press briefing with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb.
He emphasized that seven of the eight Arctic states belong to NATO – the US, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden – while Russia remains the sole Arctic nation outside the alliance. Rutte added that China has also emerged as an increasingly influential actor in the region despite lacking direct geographic presence.
"By now, China has almost become a sort of Arctic country, and not geographically, but at least by the sheer amount of their activities and interest in the region," Rutte said.
He explained that NATO wrapped up internal talks last year on enhancing cooperation among its Arctic members and is now focused on implementing “practical follow-up” measures.
"Currently, we are discussing the next step to that, how to make sure that we give practical follow-up on those discussions to make sure that, as an alliance, we do everything, collectively and through our individual allies, to make sure that the Arctic stays safe, as we all agree that has to be a priority," he said.
Rutte noted that NATO has stepped up its involvement in Arctic security since 2025 at the request of its seven High North allies, describing the region as "a vital part of NATO territory."
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
