- Foreign Secretary says “Arctic security is critical to
protecting Britain and NATO” as she pledges support for
allies on visit to High North
-
to call for NATO
to step up its work in the Arctic as she visits
Finland and Norway
- UK at forefront of Arctic Security as climate change turns
region into a hotspot for geopolitical competition and a critical
flank for security
The Foreign Secretary is touring the Arctic Circle to see UK
efforts to bolster regional security and to highlight the
importance of stronger challenge against hostile states
who seek to meddle in the High North. Travelling
to Finland and Norway, she will call on NATO
to step up its work in the Arctic to protect Euro-Atlantic
interests in the region.
The High North is home to key shipping routes and vital critical
national infrastructure such as undersea cables, is key to the
UK's security, prosperity and environment.
In Finland, the Foreign Secretary will meet Border Guards
defending NATO's eastern flank with Russia. In Norway,
she will visit Royal Marines taking part in
a live training demonstration at Camp
Viking. The military base acts as
the year-round operations hub for the UK Commando
Force, providing essential cold
weather training for up to 1500 personnel.
The UK and Norway share a determination to ensure
Russia does not succeed in its illegal war of
aggression. Sanctions against the Shadow Fleet by the UK and
partners have anchored an estimated 200
ships. Norway recently selected the UK to
supply them with Type 26 frigates designed for
anti-submarine warfare in the deal worth £10 billion.
This Government is set to significantly
increase defence spending to 2.6% from April
2027, with an ambition of 3% in the next
parliament. This is a generational increase in defence and
security spending, underlining the UK's commitment to national
security and honouring the UK's commitment to be a
leader in NATO.
The UK has also long been a leader in the Joint Expeditionary
Force with 10 like-minded nations committed to
security in the High North. The JEF recently conducted
its largest military activity to date – Tarassis –
which saw thousands of troops, including over 1,700 British
personnel, dozens of
ships, vehicles and aircraft deployed from
the Baltics to Iceland.
Foreign Secretary said:
Britain is stepping up on Arctic security. With our allies we are
working to strengthen Arctic defences and deter any attempts from
the likes of Vladimir Putin to threaten our interests and our
infrastructure. As climate change opens the Arctic, the region
will become an ever more critical frontier for NATO.
The UK has a long and committed bond with our Allies in the
Arctic Circle. Our world class Royal Marine Commandos
have been training alongside Nordic partners for over half a
century. This government is reinforcing our diplomatic and
security commitment to the region.
We see it as our responsibility and our duty to tackle these
challenges head on, making us all safer in the process. Arctic
security is a critical transatlantic partnership issue for the
security of Britain and NATO. Coming together as an alliance
allows us to unify and tackle this emerging threat.
Russia's actions pose the greatest threat to Arctic security,
through efforts to militarise the region, continued threat to
undersea infrastructure and using its reckless and illegal Shadow
Fleet which pose a systemic threat to maritime security
globally.
As warming seas unlock the Northern Sea Route, other state
actors are seeking to grow their sphere
of influence further afield. Climate
change developments are shaping the High
North, creating new
shipping routes and exposing resources, turning
the region into a hotspot for geopolitical competition and a
critical flank for European and UK security.
The visit comes as the Government has boosted its defences with
Nordic partners.
Last month, the UK and Norway signed a defence agreement that
will see British and Norwegian navies operating side-by-side in
the North Atlantic to protect critical infrastructure from
Russian submarines.
And last week, the UK provided support to the United States to
interdict the vessel Bella 1, accused of Shadow Fleet activities.
UK armed forces provided pre-planned operational support,
including basing, to U.S. military assets interdicting the Bella
1 between the UK and Iceland.
