REYKJAVIK (Dispatches) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday criticized Russia’s activities in the Arctic region, describing them as ‘unlawful maritime claims’ and repeated calls to avoid the militarization of the region, days before a gathering of Arctic nations.
Blinken made the warning ahead of a planned meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, the first such high-level in-person talks between Washington and Moscow since President Joe Biden took office in January.
The Russian Foreign Ministry last week fumed at a U.S. nuclear submarine calling at a Norwegian port, saying it reflected what it described as “Oslo’s course for the militarization of the Arctic.”
The United States has previously accused Russia of demanding that foreign vessels request permissions to pass in the Arctic region and requiring Russian maritime pilots to board the ships, while threatening to use force against vessels failing to comply.
Russia plans to build ports along the so-called Northern Sea Route, which would shorten the distance between China and Europe, and has beefed up its military presence along its Arctic coastline.
Lavrov suggested on Monday that Arctic Council member nations have heads of their respected armed forces meet regularly to defuse any tensions that arise. He also dismissed the Western alliance’s concerns over increasing Russian military activity in the Arctic.
“It’s long been well known to everyone that this is our territory, this is our land, we are responsible for ensuring that our Arctic coast is safe. And everything our country does there is absolutely legal and legitimate,” he said.
Blinken said Washington was worried that the increased militarization will lead to bigger problems. This increases the risk of “accidents and miscalculations”, he said, while it “undermined the shared goal of a peaceful and sustainable future for the region”.
The U.S. Navy twice last year conducted exercises with European allies in the Barents Sea close to Russia for the first time since the mid-1980s.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has cited estimates that put the value of Arctic mineral riches at $30 trillion.
Adm. Alexander Moiseyev, chief of Russia’s Northern Fleet, said last week that Moscow has the right to set navigation rules along the shipping lane.
“Practically the entire Northern Sea Route goes through Russia’s territorial waters or the country’s economic zone,” Moiseyev told reporters aboard the Peter the Great missile cruiser.