U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks with CEO of Reykjavik Energy Bjarni Bjarnason during a tour to the Hellisheidi Geothermal Plant, in Hengill, Iceland, May 18, 2021.
RFE: Blinken Warns Of Militarization Of Arctic Ahead Of Key Meetings In Europe
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a diplomatic tour that includes his first face-to-face talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, has warned that Washington is concerned over a military buildup in the Arctic, a region gaining in strategic importance among the world's superpowers.
"We have concerns about some of the increased military activities in the Arctic that increase the...prospects of accidents...and undermine the shared goal of a peaceful and sustainable future for the region," Blinken told reporters in Reykjavik on May 18, a day before the start of a meeting of the eight-member Arctic Council in Reykjavik.
"What we need to avoid is a militarization of the region," he added.
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Update #1: Top US Diplomat Against Militarizing Arctic (VOA)
Update #2: Russia's Northernmost Base Projects its Power Across Arctic (AP)
WNU Editor: The U.S. is poorly position to dictate what is to happen in the Arctic. The U.S. military and economic footprint in the Arctic is lacking, and there is no sign that the White House is going to commit resources to substantially increase the US presence in the North.
Update #3: Russia has responded to US Secretary of State Blinken's remarks .... Russia's Foreign Minister Shrugs Off Concerns of Military's Arctic Expansion: 'It's Our Territory' (Newsweek).
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