NATO's Activity in the Arctic Increases Risk of Incidents, Lavrov

In an article published on the Arctic.ru information portal titled "International Cooperation in the Arctic: Challenges and Opportunities," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that NATO's military activity in the Far North increases the risks of incidents with potentially disastrous consequences.

According to the Russian foreign minister, preserving the Arctic as a zone of cooperation and peace aligns with the interests of the global community, and Russia is definitively interested in this, although there are entities that do not agree with this approach. Lavrov emphasized that NATO member states and the alliance as a whole are moving towards militarization of the region and establishing new hotspots of international tension.

He added that in February 2026, the alliance initiated the "Arctic Guardian" operation, aimed at increasing military presence in high latitudes. Active military preparations are underway near Russia's northern borders, involving aggressive large-scale military exercises that include non-regional states, as well as the formation of new units in NATO's command structure. According to Lavrov, such military operations in the Far North directly threaten Russia's security and increase the likelihood of incidents that could lead to armed confrontation with potentially catastrophic consequences.