‘We must strengthen Arctic defences to deter Putin’ Foreign Secretary says during Arctic visit

• Foreign Secretary says “Arctic security is critical to protecting Britain and NATO” as she pledges support for allies on visit to High North   
• Yvette Cooper 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 Yvette Cooper 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.

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