War in Ukraine: Moscow reopens military bases since Cold War in Arctic

In his shadow war in Ukrainethe USA κι ο Canada have their eyes on Arctic. According to experts, the Moscow uses again military bases that were abandoned after the end of the Cold War. The concern is that Russia will try to dominate the region, which is rich in natural resources.

Vladimir Putin and his staff, according to a post by The Timessee melting ice as an opportunity to exploit the region ‘s energy resources and create detours on international sea lanes.

For more than 10 years, the Russian military presence in the region has been strengthened and the number of patrols with submarines and other warships has increased.

Now, the United States and Canada fear that President Putin may use the invasion of Ukraine and possibly the sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and Canada as a means to new territorial claims.

Speaking at a conference in Ottawa, General Wayne Eyre, Chief of Staff of Canadastressed how “It can not be considered unlikely that our sovereignty (in the Arctic) can be challenged”. After all, in Canada there is a sense that the area is vulnerable due to the small population and the lack of infrastructure. “The north is a key area,” Eyre added.

Prime Minister Justin Trindade and US President Joe Biden have discussed strengthening cooperation between Canada and the United States in the region to curb any Russian ambitions. Russia owns half the mass of the Arctic.

Cold War Times

Eyre said Russia had reopened some of the bases it had abandoned after the Cold War. This in combination with others he had in the area. Robert Hubert, a regional expert at the University of Calgary, said Moscow had not only opened but modernized and expanded airfields at 18 bases on the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia. China has also conducted military exercises with Russia in the region.

China has been an observer at the Arctic Council since 2013. This forum was one of the few where the Americans continued to cooperate with the Russians after the annexation of Crimea.

The Arctic Council is made up of eight members: the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Russia. Russia has exchanged sanctions with the United States and Canada, and has threatened Finland and Sweden with non-NATO membership.

Source: News Beast

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