MOSCOW, May 15th. NATO expansion in Northern Europe will destabilize the Arctic and lead to its militarization, writes The National Interest columnist Kathryn Urban. As the author recalled, the region lived relatively peacefully after the end of the Cold War thanks to the warming of international relations in the 1990s and respect for mutual interests between countries.
Yesterday, 23:18 «Prestige undermined.» Americans do not want to serve in the US Army When Russia and the United States disagreed over Arctic security issues, neutral Sweden and Finland played a significant role in reaching a compromise between Moscow and Washington, the article notes. According to Urban, the desire of Stockholm and Helsinki to become members of NATO will upset the balance interests and have far-reaching implications for stability in that part of the world. The border between Finland and Russia is likely to become a militarized zone in the Arctic and Subarctic, the journalist predicts. The entry of the Scandinavian states into the North Atlantic Alliance will eliminate the possibility of normal interaction with Moscow and bring the conflict closer, the material summarizes.
May 8, 18:53 NATO plan for «military encirclement» of Russia and China revealed The head of the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, said that the military bloc would be glad to see these countries in its ranks and provide them with the opportunity for quick entry. Moscow has repeatedly noted that the North Atlantic alliance is aimed at confrontation. As the press secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov emphasized, further expansion of NATO will not bring greater security to Europe. At the same time, he clarified that he does not consider the possible participation of Helsinki and Stockholm in this organization an existential threat to Moscow.
