Britain will increase its military presence in the Arctic region in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said Defense Minister Ben Wallace.
– The region is important for our communication, it is important for our trade and for travel, and it is important for our freedom, Wallace said when he visited the soldiers participating in the NATO exercise Cold Response in Bardufoss on Tuesday.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine means that the British must step up their intelligence both on land and at sea in the Arctic, according to the British Minister of Defense.
“In practice, we want a permanent naval battle group active in the Nordic area,” said Wallace, emphasizing that the British are committed to protecting “our infrastructure, the cables we see Russia aiming at to make us vulnerable.”
In a press release, the British Ministry of Defense elaborates that the British Navy will have a periodic presence in the far north.
Norway’s Minister of Defense Odd Roger Enoksen said for his part that Norway, as a member of NATO but also as Russia’s neighbor, “wants more allied activity in the north”.
“Britain is our most important ally in Europe,” he said.
(©NTB)
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