LONDON, May 28. /TASS/. The UK may deploy a permanent military contingent in the Arctic in response to Russia’s increased presence in the region, The Daily Telegraph reported citing sources.
According to it, this recommendation may be included in a comprehensive review of the United Kingdom’s security, defense and foreign policy issues, being prepared by British experts on behalf of the government. It is expected to be published in June.
The publication says that the Royal Armed Forces may be stationed in the Arctic a la the model used by Estonia, where about 1,000 British troops are stationed as part of a multinational NATO battalion. All indications are that the contingent will be deployed in Norway.
On March 13, Vladislav Maslennikov, Director of the Department of European Affairs at the Russian Foreign Ministry, speaking at the X International Scientific and Practical Conference “The Far East and the Arctic: Sustainable Development,” said that as NATO expands, it poses additional threats to Russia’s security in the Arctic, resulting in increasing military and political tensions in the region.
