WASHINGTON, August 28 (RIA Novosti) - Arctic cooperation should be protected from a spillover of the conflicts between the West and Russia, Heather Conley, vice president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Arctic program, told RIA Novosti Wednesday.
“My concern on the Arctic specifically is how we can ensure that there's not strategic spillover from the crisis in Ukraine onto the Arctic,” Conley said, responding to Canada’s' recent concerns about the militarization of the Arctic.
“We're going to have to work really, really hard to make sure that Arctic cooperation isn't too disrupted. It's already been disrupted,” Conley said.
On Monday, Canada's Foreign Minister John Baird responded to Russian military expansion in the Arctic by reasserting his country's willingness to protect its sovereignty in that region. Baird said that while he preferred de-escalation, protecting Canadian sovereignty was “a strategic priority.”
Russia has recently increased focus on modernizing the northern fleet and reopening bases in the Arctic. In public statements earlier this month, Russia's President Vladimir Putin emphasized the strategic importance of the Arctic for Russia's defense.
Despite statements from forums on the Arctic in Washington, DC, the concerns about the militarization of the region have been escalating since June.
“Six months ago, I would have said, 'No, no, no. You've got it wrong. There's no militarization of the Arctic,'” Conley said.
However, since June, the spillover from the Ukraine crisis has deeply challenged Arctic relations, she said, noting remarks by the President and Prime Minister of Finland, an Arctic Council member state, seriously considering membership in NATO.
“The Arctic doesn't work without Russia, and that's a fact. We haven't been able to invite Russia to certain things because mil to mil [military to military] ties have been suspended,” she said, arguing against further interruption of Arctic cooperation.
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